Evil Shadow
by AsgardianHobbit98
Summary: Adopted by Bruce Wayne, Millie is brought up in the life of plenty. As a runaway from the orphanage, Elaine is brougth up in the life of crime. One finds love and one finds hate, but neither can ever go back to being sisters again. Basically, this is an adaption of the DC universe made by me, with two OCs placed in the middle of events. Will mostly be a Nightwing/OC story though
1. Prologue

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

"Broken ribs, cracked skulls, broken arms, broken legs…"

With her gaze looking down at the floor in front of her, a young girl no older than 19 sat in her solemn looking cell with both her hands and feet cuffed. The walls were decorated with rust - not on purpose - and the floor was a dusty and dirty cement floor with no carpet or heating. In its later years, the Asylum, just like the city itself, had started to fall apart. Not the building's structure, you see, but the looks and the people working in it. On multiple occasions, dangerous patients had managed to escape thanks to corrupted employees. These employees often managed to hide themselves from the law very well, continuing to work as though they had done nothing. Though sometimes, these employees would be found or even run away themselves; ruining the life they had once had. Most of the time, though, these employees were brought back to the Asylum in straightjackets by the Dark Knight himself.

"Do you need me to continue?"

The young girl shook her head, a curl of her raven black hair falling in front of her face as she did. Her forehead and right cheek were covered in bloodstains just as her clothes and hands were. Her bare feet, which were cold and dirty thanks to the floor, were soaked in dried-up blood and she knew that it would be hard to wash it off. Though she didn't really care. It had been a joy to her to be able to kill again; a joy which had only been available thanks to a certain person's escape plan.

With a sigh, the psychiatrist pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slightly, "I thought we were making progress, Elaine. Why'd you do it?"

Slowly and menacingly, Elaine – the young girl – lifted her gaze up to the doctor, staring at him with a glare that would make anyone flinch back, which was exactly what the doctor did as well before composing himself again; after all, he should be used to this. This was his job.

"Fine," he said before standing up from the chair, "I'm keeping you cuffed until you've decided to cooperate again."

Elaine watched him leave her cell, a couple of guards locking the heavy, metal door behind him. The moment all footsteps were gone, Elaine sprung up from the chair before waddling, the best she could with her feet cuffed, towards the door. At eyelevel for a slightly taller man, there was a small frame with metal bars in the door through which the guards could look to check on the patients. On multiple occasions, these frames were something dangerous to the guards as many of them had lost an eye while checking on the more 'dangerous' patients. However, the guards had learned to keep a distance from the frames by now and those tricks could not be done anymore, to Elaine's dismay.

Standing up on the tip of her toes, she looked out through this very frame, seeing no guards nor hearing any indication of any. Suddenly, her heart filled with something strange and… warm. It had been a long time since it had been filled with this feeling – most likely not since she had been locked up, which was a while back. Though, she felt it now and she barely believed it. After all, she was waiting for the one person who was the most untrustworthy man in the whole of Gotham. The clown-prince of Gotham himself. A dangerous man who had actually despised her at first. However, after the various conversations and various promises and trials, she had had with the clown, he somehow trusted her and she somehow trusted him… At least, she trusted him to help her. She did not trust him to not kill her the moment they got out.

The riot she had started earlier had not been for nothing. She had known what she was doing and it was working – she knew it just by how quiet everything was outside of her locked door.

Hope was the feeling that was warming her chest. Hope for a bit of fresh air in her lungs and against her skin. The air in her cell smelled of mould and rust, a smell that Elaine never wanted to smell again. Even the thought of it made her shiver.

When the sound of someone whistling a happy tune could be heard, her heart began to beat quicker and she smiled widely, moving away from the door. The sound of the keys rattling as someone swung them around filled her ears and the inmates all started to protest as none of them were set free.

Her eyes widened as a pair of green eyes suddenly stared down at her from the frame and a smirk played on her lips as the keys were inserted into her cell door's lock. He twisted the keys as he finished whistling the tune, kicking the door open as quietly as he could.

"You wanna get out, darling?" he smirked with the same, familiar and raspy voice of the Joker as he stood in the doorway, a wide grin on his face.

Elaine rolled her eyes, walking up to him and sticking her hands out to him, showing to him the cuffs she had on. She watched him as he uncuffed her hands and feet, the raw skin feeling relieved after having been freed from those cuffs.

"Love what you've done with the outfit," said the Joker, letting out a cackle. "Almost looks like real blood!"

"Shut it," hissed Elaine, the calls from the other inmates starting to become louder and louder, meaning that the few guards left after the massacre would soon come to check on them. "You've not changed clothes yet."

"Well, no! There were guards placed in front of the room," he retorted, waving his hands about nonchalantly, as though he broke out of the Asylum every other day and was used to the stress. "They won't be a problem though. Soon, they'll be here."

Elaine smirked as she caught onto his plan, "They really should improve their night watch. At least then, it would be a challenge to get out."

Both she and the Joker placed themselves behind the opened door, shielding themselves from view of any guards that would want to approach the suddenly opened cell. As they did, Elaine rolled her eyes at the fact that there were only two guards; one for each of them to take out. With a single nod of the Joker's head, the both of them grabbed a guard each before, each in their own way, taking care of them. The Joker snapped the guard's neck with ease, grabbing his gun and smirking as the limp body fell down to the floor. Elaine wrapped one arm around the guard's neck before wrapping her legs around his arms, making sure that he wouldn't try to claw at her face or shoot that gun of his. As he started to faint from lack of oxygen, she landed on her back with him on her, though she barely even felt it. The sensation of the guard's life slipping away in her hands was too great for her to feel anything but adrenaline pumping through her veins; a feeling she adored and craved.

"You done? We need to leave," said the Joker, offering Elaine the other guard's weapon as she stood back up.

Elaine took a deep, shaky breath before following him towards where their gear would be stored. With a key-card the Joker had grabbed from one of the guards, their way to freedom was easy, though that was not their style.

They were finally going to get out, and Elaine could barely wait. Finally she would be able to continue her revenge against her sister. Finally, she would be able to kill her. All that stood in her way, was the Batman.

She was ready… This was the time…


	2. 1, Saving Batman

**A/N: Okay, so, welcome to my first ever DC story!  
**

 **This is basically going to be a story about two twins, my two OCs, and how they found out secrets about their past and their family and so on. There's a lot of plot. If you're a fanfiction reader that needs things to go quickly, especially with the romance, please don't leave hate. Just don't read this instead.**

 **It's going to be Nightwing/OC story, which might be a hint as to when the romance will start seing as Dick is Robin in the beginning of this story, but I hope that's okay with everyone. I'm currently at chapter 27 in my writing, and the romance is full on there. Also, Jason and Tim will be added in the story as well. I'm sort of making my own Batman time-line here :) (the fact that Jason is in it is a hint for future angst and pain...)**

 **I'm gonna stop ranting now, and let you read on. I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **1.**

* * *

 **Millie**

 **12 years earlier**

With watchful eyes, Millie sat on her bed, her arms holding a small teddy bear as her mind was filled with the horrible scene she had just witnessed. The nurses walked past her, not paying a lot of attention to her. None of them knew what she had seen, and none of them would care either. Millie was one of the youngest children there at the moment though that didn't make the nurses pay any extra attention to her. In fact, the nurses didn't pay any attention to anyone at the orphanage, years of work having worn them down into walking shells of bitterness and emptiness. Their eyes showed what was left of their soul – a bitter darkness of hatred and distaste. Millie and the other children always felt it when any nurse looked at them. The hatred… The darkness… Only the new nurses would look at them differently. But soon, the light in their eyes that always gave the children hope and warmth would disappear as well – leaving only the darkness there that all the others also bore within them.

At the moment, the city was under attack. Millie knew that much. But she did not know why she had been forced to pack what little possessions she had into a small bag. For some reason, she didn't really care either since her mind was on _that._ That which Millie didn't want to have seen. It was flashing before her eyes over and over again and her wrist still hurt too!

A couple hours ago, Millie had been searching for her twin sister, Elaine. Although the two of them didn't get along that well, Millie had still been slightly worried for her sister after she had forgotten to show up for breakfast. The nurses had looked for her everywhere though without succeeding in finding her. So, Millie had gone out to look for Elaine on her own. What she had found, had scared her out of her skin.

Elaine had been hiding down in the basement, the one place the children were not allowed to be in and the one place that was always locked. However, Millie had found the door open. Most likely, Elaine had somehow gotten the keys and snuck inside. Pick pocketing was something Elaine was very good at, after all. After having walked down the stairs to the basement, Millie found Elaine standing with her back towards Millie, drawing something on the far most wall.

"El, what are you doing? The nurses will be angry if they see you!" had Millie said, a gasp having escaped her throat as she had seen the red paint that was drawn all over the place.

It had looked like a circle, the painting that is. A strange circle with lines all around it, seeming to be swimming around the circle itself. Drops of paint were slowly making their way down towards the floor, giving the painting an eerie atmosphere.

When Elaine didn't reply to Millie, she had walked over to her twin sister and placed her petit hands on her own hips, staring at the back of her sister's head.

"You're not allowed down here!" scolded Millie.

Elaine slowly turned around, a glare evident on her face; "Neither are you."

Millie furrowed her brow before giving up. She had never understood her sister and she knew that she wouldn't do so now either. Although they were twins, they were nothing alike on the inside. Elaine was controlling and unkind, while Millie was sweet and gentle.

"Fine. If you want to get punished then _I_ won't stand in your way," said Millie, scoffing before turning her back against Elaine and starting to walk back towards the stairs.

She could've gotten away. She could've simply left her sister there to do whatever she wanted to do. But she hadn't. Millie had seen something in the corner of her eye that had caught the little girl's curiosity. There, in the corner of the basement, below a couple of shelves, something lay in a pile of wet goo. It was something strange and unfamiliar to Millie. Having seen that her sister was focused on the "painting" she was making, Millie snuck over to the corner quietly. Her eyes landed on the goo though her mind didn't quite understand what it was until a few seconds later. Her first reaction to the goo had been a yell shriek, to which her sister had spun around. The second reaction had been to look over at her twin sister with wide eyes, her heart starting to pump faster and faster.

There, in the corner, there had lain a heap of dead, cut open, rats. Millie had known that the nurses in fact were fighting rats down in the basement and that that was one of many reasons for why the children were not allowed to go down there. They were fighting the rats with poison, and the younger children still liked to put things in their mouth without thinking twice about it.

Millie had been about to ask her sister why those rats were there, when she saw something else in her sister's left hand. While her right hand had been red from the paint, her left hand held an object. A strange object that also had caused Millie to feel confused for a while before she had realized it. Realized what exactly had been going on. Elaine had been holding a knife in her left hand. A bloody knife.

Suddenly, the red paint looked no more as red paint, but as blood and Millie had screamed again, which caused her sister to hiss at her to be quiet. When Millie had not listened to Elaine in pure shock of what she was seeing, Elaine had dashed forwards and pushed her. Millie had fallen backwards and she had tried to catch herself, though that had only resulted in a hurt wrist and scratches on her hands.

With pure fright, Millie had then run away from her twin sister, not understanding how Elaine was her _twin sister_ , once again seeing proof of how different the two twins really were. Elaine was the exact opposite of Millie; A scary opposite. A darker opposite.

And now, while the city was under attack, Millie was sitting on her bed with a fearful feeling in her heart. She didn't know what to do about her twin sister. She scared her. Some of the other children in the orphanage had siblings as well though those siblings were at least kind and thoughtful to each other, taking care of each other and playing with each other. Elaine never played with Millie. Sometimes, Elaine would act kindly towards Millie, but then it would always turn dark or just turn out to be a way of Elaine to control her sister.

There was in fact only one memory with Elaine that she did treasure, which was when another child had snatched Millie's teddy away from her. Elaine had gotten the teddy back for Millie, though not without having hurt the other child first. Actually, now that Millie thought about it, she hadn't seen that other child since the day that had happened. Perhaps it wasn't such a good memory to treasure after all.

A sudden tremor caused Millie to snap out of her thoughts, holding her teddy even closer to her. A couple of nurses started to grab children and run away with them. When Millie looked over at them, she saw her twin sister look back at her from where she was following one of the nurses. Her mouth opened and formed words, though Millie didn't hear what she said. Instead, Millie did the only thing she knew she could do. She crawled underneath of her bed. Monsters lived there, that Millie was sure of. But she was also sure of the fact that the monsters never seemed to get hurt, and seeing as they lived under the bed, Millie figured she would be as safe from anything hurtful there as the monsters were.

Not only that, but having something above her head felt safer to her. And with her teddy clutched close to her chest, she stayed underneath of the bed, breathing in deep breaths to calm herself down.

The nurses ran past her bed, not noticing her being gone or the fact that she was underneath of the bed. When another tremor shook the building, Millie closed her eyes and hoped that something would come and help her; that someone would come and save her, take her away from there. She knew that she should go with the nurses, with her sister, but the fear of meeting her sister after what had happened earlier and the fear of being attacked by something was greater than her instinct to go after the nurses. And so, she stayed under the bed until the entire orphanage had been evacuated.

Her eyes were locked on her teddy bear, the dirty fur of the bear and the glassy eyes comforting her slightly. In her mind, she saw her teddy hugging her back, creating a bubble around her through which nothing evil could penetrate. And for a moment, she truly did feel like nothing could touch her. Everything around her was quiet. The sounds of people shouting outside had quietened down and she felt, oddly enough, at piece.

Then, as if it had been the calm before the storm, something shook the entire building and screams and shouts were heard from outside again. Something fell through the window, shattering it in the process. Fire engulfed the entire room and Millie could see it had come from the window, the fire that is. Though the fire hadn't been what had fallen through the window originally. It had been three people that had burst through the window and the moment they had recovered from the fall, Millie recognized at least one of them which only caused her to hug her teddy even closer to her body as she stayed under the bed, too frightened to move even a single muscle now.

There, fighting against the two other men; was Batman. Millie knew of him. All the children knew of him. He was a hero to them, a strange hero, but still a hero. And Millie watched him fight with elegance and with strange, quick moves, causing her to widen her eyes. She had never really seen a fight close-up, and now that she did, it scared her. Each time one of the three men got closer to her bed, she crawled further towards the wall, not wanting to be noticed or accidentally hit by any of them.

As one man fell down to the floor with a grunt, coughing from the punch Batman had given him in the stomach, Millie watched as Batman turned and put all his focus on the second man, tripping him to the floor and starting to punch the man in the face, shouting questions at the man which confused Millie;

"Where is it!?"

"Where is he!?"

The thug did nothing more but shake his head, laughing each time the Batman punched him and shouted at him to gain intel. Though, Millie's gaze wasn't on the interrogation anymore. Instead, her eyes were on the second man who by now had stood up again. From the floor, he had grabbed a brick that had fallen from the ceiling during one of the many explosions that had shook the building. With quiet footsteps he was nearing Batman, the brick above his head and ready to hurt the Batman with it.

Millie's heart stopped. The Batman was the only one who she knew could get her to safety. He was the only one who could stop whatever was happening to the city. Her hero was in danger.

Letting go of her teddy and silently telling him that she'd be back soon, Millie crawled from underneath the bed and grabbed herself a piece of brick as well. It was heavy, though the adrenaline rushing through her veins enhanced the small girl's strength and she barely felt the strain on her little arms' muscles as she aimed the brick at the thug's head.

Just as the thug was about to attack the Batman, Millie threw the piece she had in her hands, hitting the thug in the back of his head. Although it didn't hurt him that badly, the surprise of the impact caused him to drop the brick he was holding in his hands, causing it to fall on top of his own head and rendering himself unconscious. Millie gasped and placed her hands over her mouth as she watched the second thug fall down to the floor. She hadn't been sure of what she was doing and she hadn't really known what she was doing either. If that hadn't happened, the thug would've turned around and charged at her. She had been stupid, though when the Batman looked back at her, seeing what had happened, she felt happy about the fact she had done it. Even proud.

Though her body still shook from the fear and so, she quickly ducked under the bed again. Her teddy lay a little way away from the bed as Millie had accidentally pushed him out when leaving the bed's comfort to help Batman, and her heart hurt at seeing him so far away from her, though she was too afraid to get back out from the bed and grab him. Instead, she placed her arms around herself and curled up into a small ball.

The Batman knocked the second thug unconscious with ease after he had been distracted by Millie's actions. With both thugs knocked out, the Batman turned towards the bed where the child had run to. He saw her petit frame hide underneath of it, shaking slightly. Softly, he walked over to the bed, crouching down in front of it and silently holding out a hand. She gently lifted her head to look at him, noticing his presence there. Her eyes flickered between his own and the outstretched hand before, after much consideration, she grabbed his hand and let him drag her out from underneath the bed. He lifted her up, her hands immediately clutching onto his suit. His eyes landed on the small teddy and he leaned down to grab it. Seeing the fear still evident in her eyes, he gently offered it to her. Millie snatched the teddy from his hand, hugging him tightly to her chest. With wide eyes, she looked up at Batman, the fear now gone and a hopeful and trusting look in her eyes.

In the Batman's arms, Millie got out of the house. He walked over to the others of the staff and handed her to one of the nurses, the nurse thanking the Batman over and over again. Behind them, the orphanage was slowly burning. Had the Batman and Millie stayed in there any longer, they would have gotten hurt. Firemen made their way past them, rushing into the building.

"What's your name?" asked the Batman suddenly, his voice deep and dark.

Millie looked over at him, feeling rather surprised over the fact that she wasn't crying due to what she had seen and what had happened today.

"Millie," she replied quietly.

"You were brave," he said, causing a small smile to appear on Millie's lips. "Thank you."

And with that, he had grappled up and disappeared. It was a moment that Millie wasn't going to forget ever. And, although she didn't know that yet, it was a moment that was going to change her life forever.


	3. 2, Millie Wayne

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **2.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

With a monotone expression on his face, Bruce watched the reporters talk about the past night. They were telling the story from their perspective and although Bruce had told Commissioner Gordon about what had truly happened – or rather the Batman had told Gordon what had happened, the press hadn't taken much notice of his statement and had instead blamed the Batman for the damage that had been made to the city. Taking the blame for the damage was something Bruce was okay with, after all, he had been a part of the reason for why some of the buildings had been destroyed in Midtown. Had he found the bomb earlier, it wouldn't have detonated and the damage wouldn't have been made. Though the fact that the Batman had made the bombs and deliberately caused the damage was a report that most people were believing and it annoyed Bruce slightly. None of them would ever now R'as was behind it, and no one would fear him and his league the way they should.

To the left of Bruce, Alfred was currently stitching up a wound that Bruce had gotten during one of the fights. Although it hurt, Bruce didn't flinch even once.

"The city is safe again, thanks to you, sir," said Alfred, glancing up at Bruce whose eyes were still focused on the bat computer.

"Maybe… But the league is still out there, and R'as will return once his loyalists find his body and bring him to the pit." Bruce sighed before muting the bat computer just as Vicki Vale's report started.

"I am sure you will get them the next time they appear, sir," said Alfred, reassuringly though still slightly absentmindedly as he was focused on Bruce's wound.

"The…" started Bruce, sighing slightly before continuing; "The orphanage, what will happen to it?"

"What orphanage, sir?"

"The one where the little girl threw the brick."

"Yes, the one where you _said_ you had everything under control… I don't know, sir. Most likely it will be rebuilt," said Alfred, looking over at Bruce after finishing the last stitch; "The children will probably be moved to another location for now."

"I want to give them some money to help rebuild the orphanage as fast as possible," said Bruce as Alfred started wrapping a bandage around the stitches.

"Of course, sir."

"And I want to pay them a visit," continued Bruce, starting to type in the name of the orphanage and finding the file of one child in particular. "Alfred…"

With a shake of his head, Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. The child who had helped him… Millie… She was on his mind. Her face – those adoring, nay, trusting eyes – her innocence… But mostly, her face. The girl was maybe seven years old, and yet, she reminded him so much of his mother, of Martha Wayne. And, he thought, she reminded him much of her own mother as well. It was difficult not to see the resemblance. He remembered how much her mother had looked like Martha as well.

 _"Mum?"_

 _"Who? Me?"_

 _"Oh…"_

 _"Master Bruce!? Oh, master Bruce, I thought I'd bloody lost you- Mrs Wayne?"_

Of course that was not the entire reason for why he suddenly felt so obliged to help the child… At least, that was what he tried to convince himself of.

"Who is she?" asked Alfred, seeming to have noticed how Bruce had stared at the screen as he had been thinking about Millie.

"Her name is Millie," said Bruce before continuing to read from the file itself; "Her last name is unknown as she had been found on the streets along with her twin sister… Sound familiar to you, Alfred?"

"Impossible…" he breathed. "So, he actually did it?"

"I thought he would. That was no life for two children. Not without… Not without their mother."

"May I ask why you're reading about her in particular?" asked Alfred.

"She helped me last night. It was her. I had it under control, I knew there was a thug behind me," said Bruce, earning an eye-roll from Alfred; "but she still helped me. She's seven, Alfred, and she was already brave enough to throw a brick at a thug."

Alfred nodded his head, seeming to inspect Bruce as he continued to stare at the picture of Millie. Bruce knew he had already figured out the real reason Bruce suddenly become so attached to the child. But it was no lie that Bruce was impressed by the courage of the child.

"I have to help her."

 **Four months later**

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!"

Paparazzi, local news reporters, writers for gossip papers and more - they were all there, outside of the orphanage, screaming at Bruce to say something about his choice. It had been four months since that awful night and, thanks to the money Bruce had sent them, the new orphanage had already opened. And then, one day later, Bruce had come out with the statement that he was going to adopt, a statement that had caused all the medias to blow up with gossip and made-up reasons for his sudden interest in children.

The most ridiculous one he had read was that he himself was gay and that he knew that a future family with a wife and children of his own was not going to come true. Had they not seen him with his past girlfriends?

One nurse greeted him outside of the doors of the orphanage and Alfred stayed put by the car. The journalists understood that the orphanage itself was out of bounds for them to enter, and so once Bruce did enter, silence engulfed Bruce like a wet towel. It was uncomfortable, the silence, though not because of the contrast between the noise outside and inside, but because of the _silence_ that existed in building filled with _children._ Was there not supposed to be sounds of children laughing and playing around?

Although the nurse introduced Bruce to several children that she thought would be perfect for him, Bruce only had eyes for one child.

Millie.

As the nurse continued to talk about the two boys in front of her, Bruce looked around himself at the current room they were in. It was a play room, though no children were actually playing. He saw two toddlers who were silently holding onto a couple of dolls, though they weren't playing with them, only looking down at them. An eerie atmosphere hung like a drape over everyone in the room and Bruce suddenly felt _very_ lucky for having had Alfred when he lost his parents. Otherwise, he might have had to end up in a place such as this.

At the further most wall, there was a large window. Apart from the lamp that gave off only a little bit of light, that window gave the room a little bit of light as well. In front of it, a lone girl was standing, a hand placed against the glass and a teddy in her other hand. Recognizing the teddy, Bruce walked over to the girl, ignoring the nurse and placing himself next to the girl.

"Hello," said Bruce, earning no reply from Millie as she continued to stare out the window, looking at the snowflakes which had just started to fall down towards the ground.

As one fell against the window, Millie cocked her head to the side slightly and placed a finger against it, seeming to want to touch it though not being able to thanks to the window. Bruce watched with saddened eyes as she removed her hand from the snowflake and watched it melt into a drop of water that slowly made its way down the window.

"Do you like the snow?" asked Bruce, trying a different approach this time.

"I don't know," she replied, confusing Bruce slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never played out in the snow," explained Millie.

"Do you want to?" asked Bruce, making Millie's saddened eyes fill with curiosity and mistrust as she finally looked up at the tall man beside her.

"Maybe."

Bruce smiled softly as his mother's eyes stared up at him. "If you want, I can take you away from this place. You'll get to play out in the snow as much as you like."

"Away where?" asked Millie, the mistrust slowly fading away from her eyes, leaving only the curiosity.

"To my home. Wayne Manor," said Bruce.

Millie gasped slightly, hugging her teddy to her chest.

"You mean you want to adopt… _me_?"

Bruce crouched down in front of Millie, folding his hands together and looking her deep in the eyes.

"Of course," he said, tears forming in Millie's eyes; "What do you say?"

For a while, Millie stared into Bruce's eyes with hope and joy, warming Bruce's heart and causing any doubt about this to go away.

"But," said Millie, all the joy suddenly disappearing from her eyes; "what about my sister?"

Bruce nodded his head slightly; "She can come too. There's enough space for the two of you."

Millie shook her head, tears once again forming in her eyes, though not tears of joy; tears of fear. "No, please, sir, you can't take her. She's mean!"

Bruce's smile faltered and he furrowed his brow; "What do you mean?"

"She hurts me. And she scares me," said Millie, sniffling slightly as a tear fell down her cheek; "I think she hates me."

With a shake of his head, Bruce grasped one of her hands and held it in both of his; "Where is she?"

"I don't know," said Millie; "I haven't seen her since the big fire."

Bruce stood up; "Pack your things, Millie."

Millie nodded her head before walking away from Bruce, brushing past a nurse who walked over to Bruce with a sour look on her face.

"Have you decided on a child yet?" asked the nurse.

"I have. Millie," said Bruce, earning a strict nod from the nurse's head; "May I just ask, where is her sister?"

"Her twin sister? We don't know. I got her out from the old orphanage before it burned down. But she disappeared during the head count. Must have ran off and is probably living out on the streets somewhere," said the nurse with a monotone voice.

"Have you contacted the police about it?" asked Bruce, earning a defensive look from the nurse.

"Of course we have. But the police can't concern themselves with street children all the time. They gave up a long time ago," she simply said before walking away, most likely to get the necessary papers that Bruce needed to sign before making the adoption official.

The orphanage was strange. But it was at least doing its job, keeping the children who had no home away from the streets. The bad part was that nobody was actually helping those children who were out on the streets, alone and hungry. Only the ones who had, somehow, gotten into an orphanage got the help they needed and deserved. Though still not the love, concluded Bruce.

 **Two Hours Later**

"Ignore them. Alright? Pretend like you can't see them or hear them," ordered Bruce as he and Millie walked over towards the front doors of the orphanage.

In Bruce's right hand, he was holding Millie's bag while he held onto her hand with his left one.

"Okay," she simply said.

"By the car, a nice man is waiting for us. He's our friend," said Bruce; "and his name is Alfred."

Once again, Millie replied with a simple; "Okay," clutching onto Bruce's hand a little tighter.

When the doors opened, Millie as her ears were suddenly overwhelmed with loud voices all talking over one another. Police were struggling to keep the flashing cameras away from Millie and Bruce, though Bruce was proud over the fact that Millie mimicked him, simply looking straight ahead and walking over to the car without looking or talking to anyone else. There, Alfred stood waiting for them and he opened the door to the limousine, Bruce entering first before Alfred helped Millie inside.

"Welcome Miss Millie," said Alfred to her as he helped her put on her seat belt.

"Thanks," she said quietly, watching the man with curious eyes as he closed the door and walked over to the front, ignoring the flashing cameras himself as well.

"Once we're home, we'll start with have some lunch," said Bruce, watching Millie as she stared out at the orphanage where she had come from, her teddy lying on her lap; "Then you'll get to see your room and maybe you can go out and play in the snow."

Millie turned back to Bruce as he said this, smiling at him. "Yes," she said as they drove away from the orphanage.


	4. 3, Adopted by Cobblepot

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **3.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

Staggering forwards, the little girl walked through the dark alley. Snowflakes were dancing around her, falling onto her bare arms before melting into drops of freezing cold water. The air around her was cold and she could no longer feel the tips of her fingers or her toes. A part of her wished for the warmth of the orphanage's hearth while the other half, the one she listened to, wished to find her home; the place she was looking for in the icy cold winter weather of Gotham. Although, she was unsure of what this place would look like. All she knew was that there, somewhere out there, was someone waiting to take her in. Her chances of finding that one at the orphanage were too small and therefore, when she had gotten the chance to, she had run away. The attack on the orphanage had given her that very opportunity to wriggle away from the nurses and out into the freedom of the city.

Black dots were appearing in her vision, another wave of nauseating hunger overwhelming her and nearly making her knees buckle. She needed food. The last time she had eaten was days ago and that meal had been nothing but nasty. She had found a dead pigeon on the pavement and, after having removed its feathers and roasted it for a while over one of the fires burning in the many alleys that were occupied by homeless people, she had eaten the whole thing. At least, she had tried to eat it. Though it had tasted of gasoline and sand had crunched in between her teeth. A couple hours later, the pigeon had found its way back up, leaving her sick for at least three days – three days in which she could barely move. Water was something she didn't have and so, she felt weak and ready to faint any minute now.

Rounding a corner, Elaine took a few steps forwards before falling down on the ground, her legs finally giving up. In front of her, a couple of doors existed and she looked at them, her vision slowly getting blurrier and blurrier. At last, the only thing she could see was the outlines of an illuminated sign shaped like an umbrella. The sign was hanging from the wall next to the doors. And when she slowly fell into the world of unconsciousness, she vaguely noticed the doors opening and two men approaching her, grabbing her weak arms and starting to pull her inside.

 **Millie**

Laughter filled the halls of Wayne Tower as Millie walked back inside, her entire outfit completely covered in snow that was slowly starting to melt. Alfred appeared by the entrance, raising an eyebrow at the young girl's snowy clothes.

"Let me help you, miss," said Alfred, walking over to her as she sat down on a bench, unzipping her jacket.

Bruce had let her play outside in the snow for the first time in her life. The gardens outside of Wayne Manor were _huge_ and she had run around, let herself fall into the snow and explored her surroundings like she never had done before. To say that she had had the time of her life was an understatement. Had it not been for the darkening sky outside, Millie would've stayed out for longer though she knew that when darkness came, it was best if she was inside.

As Alfred helped her take off her jacket, gloves, fur hat and boots, he brushed off Millie's now damp trousers before placing an extra cardigan on her to make sure that she regained her body heat. None of the clothes were hers, but had all been given to her by Bruce. She was sure that he had not really known who he was going to adopt, yet for some reason, all the clothes he had bought for her size.

"Dinner will be ready soon," said Alfred; "I think master Bruce wanted to speak to you. He's in the living room."

"Okay," said Millie happily before running past Alfred and into the large hallway she knew led to the living room.

Wayne Manor was huge and she knew that she would have a blast exploring every inch of it during the upcoming weeks. Having said yes to Bruce's offer to become her father had been the best decision she had made in her entire life. The only question that lingered in her mind was why he had chosen her. Though that was a question she decided not to think about and so, she buried it deep down in her mind along with the memories of her twin sister.

Although she struggled to open the door to the living room since they were quite big and heavy, she managed to and she soon saw Bruce sitting in an armchair next to the fire, a glass filled with a little bit of a strange looking liquid resting in his hand as he stared into the fire. When she skipped over to him, Bruce looked away from the fire, smiling softly at her.

"How was the snow?" asked Bruce as she stopped in front of him.

"Amazing! It felt cold and wet but I liked it! I got a snowflake in my eye, oh, and I made a huge pile of snow and climbed it. Maybe tomorrow I can show you and Alfred how to climb it and then we can make a snowman together!" she rambled as she jumped up and down on the spot, causing Bruce to chuckle.

"I'm glad you like it," said Bruce before gesturing towards the armchair opposite of him.

Millie jumped up and sat down on it, swinging her legs back and forth, the warmth from the fire making her smile widely.

"I've decided that it would be best if you stayed at home for a while. After Christmas, we can arrange for you to start at one of the finest schools in Gotham," said Bruce, earning a nod from Millie.

"Okay," she said, continuing to swing her legs back and forth, not really bothering to care about school. Schoolwork had always been easy for her, and her sister, so she worried very little about it.

"Now… about your sister," said Bruce, causing Millie to tense.

Her legs stopped swinging back and forth, which Bruce noticed.

"Have you found her?" asked Millie quietly.

"No. And I don't know if they will either," he spoke softly, "I just wanted to ask you why you said she hurt you?"

"I don't know," said Millie, shrugging, not wanting to talk about it; "she pushes me and says mean things to me."

"Why does she do that?" asked Bruce, earning yet another shrug from Millie.

"Because she wants to, I think," said Millie.

It was quiet for a while and Millie looked down at her lap, suddenly missing her teddy who was upstairs on her bed.

"I think dinner will be ready soon," said Bruce, setting down his now empty glass on the small side table next to his armchair before standing up; "Come on."

 **Elaine**

"What the bloody hell is all this about!?"

The loud voice caused Elaine to gasp and awaken, fear taking over her as she realized that she was not out in the streets anymore. She was placed on a couch, men standing all around her, staring at her with curious and wondering eyes. Her entire body hurt and she knew that she was still as weak as before. However, she wasn't freezing anymore, which was nice. Though her fingertips and toes hurt.

"What…"

A strange, short man pushed his way past some of the men, appearing in front of Elaine and staring down at her with the same shock as Elaine felt at seeing such a strange looking man. He had odd glasses that only consisted of one glass resting in front of his right eye, a strange suit on and dark, leather gloves on. In his right hand, he held a cane, seeming to support some of his weight on it though also seeming to be able to walk perfectly fine without it. Well, to say that he walked fine was an overstatement seeing as he waddled, as though one of his legs had once been badly hurt.

"What the 'ell 'ave you done!?" he exclaimed, looking around at the men standing around Elaine.

"Boss, she was lying out in the cold! We had to bring her in!" exclaimed one man, causing the strange man to glare at him.

With her heart beating fast, she stayed perfectly still as she waited for the man to say more. She wanted to go away. After all, these men didn't seem like people that were prepared to give her food, water and a roof over her head. She was wasting time being in here.

"It's a kid!" exclaimed the strange man, forming his left hand into a fist; "Why'd you take 'er in!?"

"Why not?" asked another man, stepping forwards; "She can be of value."

Elaine watched the man, noticing very well that, out of all the men in the room, he was wearing the neatest clothing. Tattoos trailed up his arms and down underneath of his shirt, though they looked neat – thought through. Some of the other men had tattoos as well, though those were scattered all over them, some painted and some not. One man, a large, bulky man following around the waddling man, had tattoos on his face as well.

"Value? A kid?" asked the strange man, glaring at the neat man.

"What are you doing?" whispered someone from the crowd.

"No, by all means; step forward and explain!" said the strange man with a faked kindness in his voice.

"Well," said the man, taking another step forwards and clearing his throat, all eyes on him. He glanced at Elaine once, before he looked back at the strange man, seeming to have found new courage after looking at her; "She can be trained, used to get into narrow paths like… vents during a robbery. When she grows up she can become a good… right hand to you, boss."

The men around started to laugh and boo at the man's words, though when Elaine looked over at the strange man who she now had deduced was the leader of this group, she saw no annoyed look. Instead, she saw the strange man think about the words he had just heard. When he looked over at Elaine, inspecting her, he suddenly lifted one hand up, silencing the entire group of men immediately.

"Feed 'er," said the strange man, several of the thugs around him exchanging surprised looks; "give 'er some descent clothes and a room. No one is to touch 'er, you hear me?"

The group of men nodded their heads.

"You," the strange man said, pointing a figure at the neat man who had defended Elaine; "She's your responsibility now. Make sure she's ready for the next heist. I want 'er to do exactly what you told me and maybe, just maybe, I'll spare 'er life."

The second man nodded vigorously as everyone started to walk away, leaving only Elaine and the second man there. He slowly walked over to her before crouching down in front of her couch, offering her a smile.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," said the man; "What's your name?"

"Elaine," she replied.

The girl did not miss the fleeting look of recognition in the man's eyes.

"Nice. I'm Mark," he said, offering a hand to her.

She was about to grab it when he smacked her hand, causing her to jump back from him, though also igniting a spark of curiosity in her; "We, the penguin's guys, don't shake hands with other people, got it? We're above them. Better than them."

Elaine nodded her head.

"You've got a lot to learn, kid. But we'll make it through," said Mark, standing up; "Soon, you'll be just what Penguin wants."

 **Millie**

The bed felt huge and far too soft for her liking. At first, she had been amazed at the giant looking bedroom and all the space she had to place toys she wanted to ask for. But now that she laid in bed, the lights out and darkness consuming the room, the bed felt like a monster that was going to consume her. However she lay and however she moved, she couldn't find the edge of the bed. She was used to a bed with a thin mattress that was narrow enough for her to fall off it if she moved too much during the night. Not this.

It was the first time since she had arrived at Wayne Manor that she realized what a different life she had agreed to and although the sadness felt like something that came to her from her unconscious mind since she was too young to understand her emotions well enough, the real reason for the tears that were falling down her cheeks was the fact that this was not her life. She had been born into one life, though she didn't know what that life was. And now she had been thrust into the life of luxury, a life she had never even thought about and a life that she was not used to. Even during dinner she had felt out of place. The small portions of food she had gotten and the strange, new food had not been to her taste and she had barely eaten at all.

When she suddenly realized that her teddy was not in her arms anymore, panic filled her as well as she quickly started to search the covers around her for her loyal friend. Though she couldn't find him. The darkness made it impossible for her to see if he was anywhere near and so, she slumped down onto one of the many pillows and let out a loud sob. She already had difficulties falling asleep and now, she'd have even more. Without her teddy, she knew she'd never feel safe enough to fall asleep in this big bed.

The door suddenly opened and Millie quickly brushed her cheeks dry with her hands, curling up her legs to her body and pretending to be asleep. However, as the light from the hallway hit her face, she knew that whoever had opened the door had seen her sad face and she suddenly felt pathetic.

"Trouble sleeping?" asked the voice of Bruce as he entered, causing her to open her eyes and watch him as he stood there in the doorway. "Alfred said he heard you cry."

Millie shook her head, sniffling slightly.

"I can't find Tiny," said Millie silently, earning a slightly confused look from Bruce though she didn't explain any further.

 _"I can't sleep…"_

 _"Tiny'll keep you company 'till you sleep."_

 _"Tiny?"_

 _"The teddy I gave you. I named him Tiny. Go back to sleep before the nurses see you out of bed!"_

Instead, she watched him as he walked over to the bed, crouching down in front of it before sitting down on the bed next to her. In his hands, he now held her teddy and she realized he must have fallen down. Quickly and with a smile on her lips, she reached out towards her teddy and Bruce placed him in her arms, a soft smile on his lips as he watched her hug her teddy.

"Tiny?" he asked suddenly, causing her to look at him again as she stroked Tiny's head, imagining that she was comforting him for having been away from her. "That's a nice name."

"My sister came up with it. She gave him to me," replied Millie. "Before she turned mean."

Bruce nodded, opening his mouth to say something more, though Millie interrupted him as another light was lit. Though, this light was outside of the house, far away from them, she could see it as clear as daylight due to the fact that her bedroom window showed Gotham City standing tall and proud a couple of miles away.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the window and sitting up.

Bruce quickly turned around, his entire body suddenly tensing. With a strict tone to his voice, he said; "I need to go."

As he stood up and walked towards the door, Millie quickly shifted so that she was lying at the edge of the bed, knowing that it would calm her down if she could feel the edge of the bed during the night. With her eyes still looking out through the window, Bruce turned back to her one last time before exiting her room, closing the door behind him.

The room was still dark, though it was slightly lighter now than it was earlier. Not only was the moon shining in through the window, but also the light of the bat signal as it hovered high up in the sky.

Millie smiled as she remembered when she had met the dark knight of Gotham. Although it had been during scary conditions, it had still amazed her and left her star struck.

She wondered what he was doing now in order to save the city… she wondered who he was.


	5. 4, Very Different Christmas'

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **4.**

* * *

 **Millie (seven years old)**

 **Two weeks later**

With a smile on her face, Millie jumped out of the bed the moment she opened her eyes. It was Christmas morning – Millie's first ever, _real_ , Christmas morning.

Of course there had been six previous Christmases, though she had never really gotten to celebrate those holidays the way she had heard other children were allowed to. At the orphanage, the nurses only decorated a tree to celebrate Christmas and the food was spiced a little different. Though, nothing else was done to celebrate the holiday – there were no presents or happiness. But now she was not in the orphanage anymore. She was in a home. A _real_ home.

She wondered whether or not she was going to get any presents. She didn't believe in Santa Claus anymore, though she believed the stories of Bruce having a lot of money, which might mean he could spare some to buy her gifts.

Not that Bruce had not given her any gifts at all since she was brought in. On the contrary, Bruce had bought her dozens of gifts. Sometimes, during the late nights when Millie had troubles sleeping, Bruce would bring her downstairs – against Alfred's liking – to look through some magazines until she'd fall asleep in his arms. She'd get two 'ticks', as the two of them called it, and whenever she saw something she wanted, she'd tick the magazine with her finger. Bruce would immediately call up the store and buy the two things she had 'ticked'. Due to Bruce's last name having a lot of influence in Gotham, the presents would always arrive the next morning. Alfred would open the door and be met with yet another deliverance for Miss Wayne, which always seemed to annoy Alfred as he would spare Bruce annoyed glances during those days. Though Millie didn't mind it.

No, Millie indeed did not have a shortage of presents and gifts. But it was different with Christmas. Christmas gifts were special, and she had never had one before.

Alfred came in, opening up the curtains with a smile on his face, seeing as Millie never was awake when he came to bid her good-morning. He planned her outfit for her, offering her extra warm socks as, apparently, the papers had said it would be a cold Christmas day. The moment Alfred had finished putting on her coat, she slipped past him and ran out the door. Nearly slipping down the stairs, Millie made her way towards the living room. The doors were, luckily, already opened for her and there, in the middle of the living room, close to the hearth, the giant Christmas Tree stood. Alfred and Millie had chosen the tree together, decorating it the same day they had brought it home. From the way people looked strangely at them as they drove through Gotham, people were not used to seeing a limousine with a Christmas tree on its roof.

With a wide grin on her face, she stared at the presents situated underneath of the tree. There were three of them, each a different size. One was nearly the same size as her, if not even taller, while the other two were particularly smaller. She felt mostly excited about the big one, having learned by now that the big presents usually were the most fun, and she had to resist the urge to rip the paper off of them immediately.

Alfred entered the living room, seeing Millie sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the presents, and sighed.

"Whatever you say -" said Bruce's voice from behind Alfred, "- I am not spoiling her."

"Are you sure, sir?" he asked sarcastically before beginning to head down the hallway to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Hold on," said Bruce as he entered the living room. "I didn't buy that big present."

Alfred smiled a knowing smile before he entered the kitchen. Maybe Alfred disliked Bruce spoiling the child, but he couldn't always resist the urge to do it himself.

 **Elaine**

Mark entered her room in the early morning hours, just as he always did. Elaine wondered if he lived there just like she did, though never really asked him about it. For the past two weeks, Mark had been the one to take care of her; to teach her everything she was not allowed to do in order to not anger the boss.

Apart from teaching her stuff, he'd also dress her and keep her away from the business that she should not get involved in.

Although Mark kept keeping up the façade that the Penguin would go bonkers if she did any of the things he'd taught her not to do to upset the boss, Elaine wondered if the Penguin really was that bad of a person as Mark made him out to be. Elaine had done, accidentally of course, several of the things she was not allowed to do and each time, the Penguin had not skinned her alive or even yelled at her. All he had done was give her a glare before sighing, telling her not to do it again.

Perhaps he had a soft spot for her…

A few weeks ago, the Penguin had even given her a present as an 'early Christmas gift'. A small dagger with a red handle. Mark was currently training her how to use it, though her coordination was not really that good yet as she was too young.

The club was not an ideal home for a child, everyone knew that – even Elaine. The nightclub itself was rather clean, though filthy people came during the nights. The building itself was old and rusty and the Penguin had given Elaine a room above the night club. During the evenings when she wanted to sleep, she'd fall asleep to the sound of music coming through the floorboards of her floor. It wasn't calming music yet it still succeeded in making her fall asleep. It was part of her new home now, and she wondered if she even could fall asleep again without the music pumping in the background.

Home it might be to her, but it was so different from other homes – from traditional homes. Especially since the Penguin had already introduced the child to murder, having been allowed to watch the boss as he had made sure that a man who had 'forgotten' to pay the money he owed, wouldn't forget to do so again. It had escalated a little too far when the man had started to insult the Penguin and so, she had watched with interested eyes as the boss cut open the man's throat. Something inside of her had stirred that day, something she had felt before when she had hurt and finally killed those rats. Something she enjoyed and that made her feel good. Something she wanted to feel _more_.

"Merry Christmas," said Mark, the Penguin's right hand (something Elaine had only just found out), as he threw the new set of clothes she was supposed to wear onto her bed.

She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes free of sleep.

"The boss wants to talk to ya." He sounded tired. More than he usually did. Almost as if he had been up all night, though Elaine didn't think much of it. The truth was that Mark had indeed been up all night. In fact, everyone had been up all night, no on having been allowed to go back home in order to help with preparing Elaine's present. The Penguin knew that what kept children at home, was happiness. And happiness equalled material gifts in the Penguin's dictionary. Therefore, he made sure that Elaine's Christmas present was good enough for her.

"Fine." With a grunt, she stood up and put on the t-shirt, Mark having turned around to give her some privacy. Quickly, she threw off her pyjama pants and put on the jeans he had given to her, putting on the same shoes she wore each day afterwards.

When she was done, Mark quickly helped her brush her hair to 'make her presentable to the boss', Elaine having laughed at his awkward attempt to do something with her hair which was slowly growing longer by the day. In the end, it almost looked worse than what it had done when she had awoken in the first place. Neither of them really cared though. It was awkward enough already for a thug in the Penguin's crew to try and fix a girl's hair, and nobody really looked that presentable anyway… Though the Penguin did try.

Downstairs, changes had been made to the club. Major changes. Elaine felt confused about the fact that she hadn't been awoken by any loud noises since these changes would've had to have made a lot of noise. Then again, Mark had trained with her even more than he usually did the day before, making her extra tired… Maybe that had been his plan to make sure she stayed asleep.

Behind the bar, where normally a plain wall existed with a storage room behind it, there was now a large aquarium taking up what used to be that storage room. The bar was still in the same spot, though instead of a plain white wall behind, a part of the aquarium's glass now existed there instead. A couple of planks had been, somehow, put up against the glass wall, some bottles of liquor still being showcased there.

As Elaine walked over to the tank, Cobblepot himself walked over to Elaine with a grin on his face.

"Like it?" he asked. "My men worked hard on it. See it as a… Christmas gift."

Elaine glanced over at the boss, raising an eyebrow.

"There's nothing in there," she said with a wondering tone to her voice, hoping she had not offended the boss with her question.

"Look, little girl," he said, placing a finger against the glass. "You'll see 'er soon."

As Elaine looked back inside the huge tank of water, she saw a large piece of meat being lowered into the tank by some thugs she didn't quite know by name yet. The water around it turned pink as it floated in the water, waiting… movement was seen from the further most part of the tank… Something was in there alright, something big.

Cobblepot came to stand next to her, watching her every facial expression curiously. Her eyes widened as something shifted from out of the darkness of the aquarium, pouncing at the meat; ripping at it and tearing it to pieces, eating it with force and determination. Although she could see it was just a baby, it was still a big, white shark.

"A shark," she said in awe, moving up towards the glass and placing her petit hands against it, watching the shark eat, the pink fumes spreading further and further away from the meat as it ate viciously. She had never really seen a shark in real life before, only ever having seen one in books about the ocean-life.

"It's yours kid. Any person you don't like, she'll take care of," confirmed Cobblepot, already seeing the question rising in her eyes.

"Thank you…"

He chuckled as she watched the shark with interest and as he left, Mark took his place next to her, watching the shark as well.

"Are you gonna name it?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," breathed Elaine, nodding her head vigorously. Just like her sister, Elaine had never really gotten any gifts for Christmas. Though, apart from the dagger, Elaine hadn't gotten anything prior to her Christmas gift either. Once, she had given her twin sister a gift, hoping it was a good enough clue for her pathetic sister to give something in return, though she had never done that. The name she had given her sister's teddy bear would have been exactly the name she would have given her own teddy bear, granted she had ever gotten one.

Albeit a shark was not a teddy bear, it was still… something.

"Tiny."

 **Millie**

With a smile gracing her lips, she sat beside the Christmas Tree, her eyes staring at the presents she had just recently opened. The biggest one had been a large doll house, dolls and furniture all included, while the medium sized one had been filled with little extra toys she had always wished for. The only thing she wanted to do was play with them the entire day, which she was sure of that she was going to do too.

The smallest present had been something that she wasn't allowed to use just yet, though still something that had apparently meant a lot to Bruce. It had been a small box which contained a beautiful pearl necklace and matching ear rings. Bruce had specifically told her to wait until she was older before she wore them, especially since she hadn't pierced her ears yet, though he had also told her that they resembled the ones his mother used to wear. Although they weren't, he had told her, they still symbolized that she was now a Wayne according to the law. And although they weren't family by blood, both Millie and Bruce felt as if they were. Bruce was not someone who hugged a lot nor was he someone who appreciated showing his affection towards someone else, though through tiny actions such as those, Bruce tried his best to show the affection he felt for the child.

Millie knew this, or at least figured it was something like that… And although she had not really been 'happy' with the jewellery present (what child is?), she had still smiled and thanked him graciously, making sure that she seemed happier about the pearl necklace than the dollhouse, just to silently tell Bruce that she too loved him.

 **Elaine**

With unsure steps, Elaine made her way downstairs to the nightclub where she knew that the Penguin and his crew were preparing to open the doors, cleaning up some mess and filling the shelves with the strange liquor that Elaine wasn't allowed to touch yet. In her hands, she held a drawing she had made. A drawing of herself and Mark standing in front of the nightclub in the snow. Beside them, a snowman stood which she imagined that she and Mark had made.

She was walking around in her pyjamas, having already been put to sleep. However, she hadn't been able to sleep. In fact, she wanted to sit downstairs and watch Tiny swim around just like she had done most of the day, apart from when she had been training some dagger-skills with Mark.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she peeked out into the nightclub, seeing most of the men preparing to leave while some stayed behind, sitting by the bar. They were ready to open, Elaine knew that, and she was afraid she might get yelled at if she walked over to them. For a brief moment, she considered walking back up the stairs when she realized that she lived with these people and that she couldn't be afraid of them. Besides, being yelled at wasn't all that bad. She knew that they couldn't do much more than that without getting in trouble with the boss.

She cleared her throat, earning the attention from one of the men who hadn't been talking to someone else. He raised an eyebrow at her, Elaine recognizing him as the one they called Pete. He was seated by the bar, a glass in his hands filled with the strange liquid.

"Why, look who's still up!" he exclaimed, making the rest of the men look over at Elaine.

Mark immediately stood up, walking over to her with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Maybe she wants to join us!" exclaimed another thug, causing the rest of them to snigger.

Mark crouched down in front of her, "What are you doing?"

"I drew something," she said, showing the drawing to Mark.

She felt weird. Out of place. Stupid. Pathetic. This was childish, Mark didn't love her. Mark never would. He was simply ordered to take care of her the best way he could. Besides, she was fierce and beyond childish things such as stupid drawings of people smiling and being happy.

One thug awed in the background, earning strange looks from the others which caused him to shut up again, instead, taking a sip from the strange liquid, avoiding eye-contact.

"Well, girl, you've got talent," praised Mark, lifting her up with ease and placing her on his hip.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I drew it."

A blush crept up onto her cheeks. This was something Millie might have done, not her. She was _not_ her weak twin sister.

"It's shit."

Some of the thugs chuckled at her language.

"Don't say that. I like it."

"I just couldn't sleep. I was bored."

Excuses.

"Here, I've got something that might help you sleep."

He walked over to the rest of the men, sitting down on the barstool that was empty, Pete winking at Elaine from where he was sat. For the first time in her life, she was placed on Mark's lap. It felt strange and she tensed up slightly.

"Give me a refill," said Mark, pushing his glass over to the man standing behind the bar. He was one of the men that was going to stay behind since he wore one of the strange, red suits that the men who worked during the night had to wear.

As the man filled Mark's glass with some more of the strange liquid, Elaine watched as one of the thugs took the drawing and looked at it.

"Kid likes you, Mark," said the thug, snickering as he showed the drawing to the others.

"Shut it," hissed Mark, taking the drawing from him and placing it back on the table, rolling his eyes. "Just 'cause she doesn't like you."

"At least I don't have to dress her," mocked the other thug with a sneer.

"I dress myself, thank you very much," exclaimed Elaine, earning a surprised look from the thug before he and his friends started to laugh again.

Mark chuckled as he took his glass from the bartender, now filled with the liquid again, and placing it in front of Elaine and himself.

"Oh, she'll fit in fine," said the previous thug, smiling over at Elaine who proudly smiled back, having stood up for both herself and Mark – she hoped.

"Here." Elaine stared at the glass in front of her nose, held up by Mark's large hand, a small part of his dark tattoo being visible on his wrist drawing almost all her attention away from the glass. "It'll help you sleep."

"I'm not allowed to drink it," replied Elaine carefully, feeling everyone's gazes on her. For some stupid reason, this felt like a test. A test to see if she indeed did fit in like that one thug had just commented.

"Says who? Come on, it'll work."

Carefully, Elaine took the glass in her hands. It was giant in her petit hands, though she held it as confidently as anyone else would have. Slowly, she brought the glass up to her lips, though scrunched up her nose in disgust at the smell of the liquid, quickly retreating her lips from the glass. It burned her nose simply smelling it and she did not want to know what was in it.

The thugs around her chuckled at her action before growing quiet again as she moved the glass back to her mouth, not enjoying being the laughing object of the thugs. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Pete doing the same as her and she looked over at him, seeing him stare at her. He lifted his glass slightly, a smile on his lips, "To many more Christmases."

The chuckles from the thugs escalated into laughter as they watched Pete and Elaine drink at the same time, both drowning the content of the glass. There hadn't been much in Elaine's glass, just a layer of the liquid. Though it burned her throat and stomach like it had ignited a fire. Immediately, she started coughing, being able to do nothing else but that to put out the fire inside of her. Mark grabbed the glass from her hands and patted her back, her cheeks warming up from the liquid and she shivered slightly at the nasty taste.

"Come on now, off to bed," said Mark as she had calmed down slightly, lowering her down to the floor again. "Big day tomorrow."

"Why?" asked Elaine, glancing at him.

He looked a little taken aback by her question before he furrowed his brow, "Don't know," he shrugged, "Just something my dad used to say to me each night."

 **Millie**

She lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind was still replaying the scenes she had acted out with her new dolls that day, her mind staying in that beautiful imaginative land of hers.

"Best Christmas ever," she whispered, glancing over at Tiny who lay beside her, tucked in under the covers and with his head on a pillow as well. Alfred had tucked her in, leaving her and Tiny like that which had made her giggle.

Where Bruce had been during bed-time, she was unsure of.

Indeed, it had been her best Christmas ever, mostly because it had been her first. She would have many more 'best Christmases', though she did not know that as she lay there in bed, trying to sleep.

Her mind was swivelling with thoughts and ideas for her dolls to live through the next morning. Though it was beginning to annoy her. She needed to sleep, but just couldn't calm down her mind.

A thought popped up as she remembered what she used to do when she needed to calm down back in the orphanage. Usually she would have to calm down for different reasons over there though, either because her sister had been mean to her or because she was simply unhappy after a dissatisfying birthday.

Little did she know, that when she moved her lips and sang the song she and her twin sister had learnt by heart, that her twin sister was singing the exact same song over in her new home to try and fall asleep as well.

Little did she know what that song actually meant to either of them.

Little did she know what it would turn out to mean to either of them in their future.

 _Oranges and lemons, said the bells of St. Clement's_

 _You owe me five farthings, said the bells of St. Martin's._

 _When will you pay me?, said the bells of Old Bailey._

 _When I grow rich, said the bells of Shoreditch._

 _When will that be?, said the bells of Stepney._

 _I do not know, said the great bell of Bow._

By the third line, Millie had already fallen asleep… Though Elaine, her twin sister, had not. She continued the rhyme until the very end, singing the last part of the song which the nurses at the orphanage and Millie herself too always skipped, but which were Elaine's favourite.

 _Here comes a candle to light you to bed,_

 _And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!_

 _Chip chop chip chop, the last man is dead…_


	6. 5, Very Different Kids

**A/N: So sorry this chapter is so damn long... but I couldn't remove anything because this is literally where the actual plot starts (at least the main plot). I'm gonna give ten points to whoever had enough patience to read it through in one go**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **5.**

* * *

 **Millie  
Four years later (Eleven years old)**

With her backpack thrown over her shoulder and an extra book that did not fit into her bag resting in her arms, Millie walked through the doors of Gotham Junior High with brisk steps. All around her, people waved goodbye to her or shouted her name though she wasn't really popular or liked as a person. The people who waved at her only did so because she was rich and famous due to her last name. There were no real friends there who she could hang out with, none of them really enjoying her company and none of them really wanting to get to know the real her, but only desiring the fame that came with being friends with a Wayne.

She attended a lot of classes, being a very bright and intelligent child. Perhaps this too was a reason for her loneliness as this made her intelligent in math or science, but not that intelligent in social skills. Her time in the orphanage had not helped build any social skills either because most children there had avoided Millie due to Elaine being her sister.

She missed having actual friends even though she did not know what it felt like. Sure, many people knew her, but she didn't have a _friend_. No one to go to when Bruce was being annoying, no one to talk to when she thought someone was cute… She was simply alone amongst the many people who knew her. During lunch or recess, she would sit by herself and sometimes find herself staring at groups of friends smiling and having a blast together. And sometimes those people would notice her staring and move off, the smiles stripped away from their lips.

Perhaps the staring did not help her loneliness either.

Apart from being intelligent, Millie had grown into quite a beautiful pre-teen with raven black hair that reached far down her back. She had inherited dark, blue eyes the colour of an ocean, though she knew not from whom she had gotten her twinkling eyes. She was easy to recognize because of her beauty and fame, yet also easy to miss at first glance due to the lonely and strange aura around her. She enjoyed being in the shadow of things, and therefore she always tried to make herself invisible. Because people often missed her in a crowd, she liked to sometimes imagine she had invisibility super powers, but it might also be because her beauty was not _stunning,_ it was just simple beauty one could find in many other pre-teens her age.

Quickly, since a drop of rain had landed on her head notifying her of the bad weather about to start, she ran over to the black car where Alfred stood waiting to drive her back home. Although there were dark clouds filled with rain above her head, it was actually summer already and she had finished her last day of school, a report card sitting nested inbetween her school books in her backpack. She was very excited about the summer break because, even though she was good at school, she hated it. Now, she had weeks of summer to look forward to which she hoped would be filled with fun just like most of her vacations were.

Already that night, the fun would start. Bruce had promised to take her out to Haly's Circus and watch one of their performances. Although she knew that Bruce would bring someone else along too, most likely one of his 'female friends' that he enjoyed spending time with, she knew she'd have fun. Most of the people at school had already attended one of the Flying Grayson's performances and she wanted to be able to talk about it too. Apparently, it was quite a spectacular thing to see.

"Are you all set for summer break, Miss Millie?" asked Alfred as she approached him, a drop of rain falling onto his shoulder.

After she had nodded her head, he opened the door and she slipped inside, just in time as well as rain suddenly started to pour down. Poor Alfred quickly ran to the other side of the car, nearly throwing himself onto the driver's seat before sighing, quickly starting the engine.

"Typical Gotham-summer, this here," he mumbled, more to himself then her, though she still giggled at his words.

Through the window, she watched as her school disappeared out of view, the two driving through Gotham's busy streets, following the signs reading 'Midtown' for a while before exiting Gotham. They passed the sign with 'Arkham Asylum' painted on it, not following it and instead making their way towards the narrow, twisting, serpentine roads leading up to the manor.

"Alfred?" she asked, staring out through the window at the passing-by forest.

"Yes, Miss Millie?" he asked, looking straight-ahead though his eyes flickered up to the rear-view mirror to look at her.

"Is Bruce going to bring someone along to the circus tonight? You know, apart from me?" asked Millie.

"I'm afraid so," he replied.

"Who?"

"A certain Miss Vale, if I'm not mistaken," said Alfred, looking at Millie through the rear-view mirror and apparently picking up on her saddened look as he quickly added; "She's very kind, Miss Millie. I'm sure you'll like her."

"I don't like her show," said Millie bitterly, pouting slightly while continuing to stare out through the window.

Alfred didn't reply to her comment and the car was suddenly filled with a pressing silence. Although she had been excited to go earlier, she didn't feel excited anymore. Vicki Vale was the one woman that Bruce had brought over that hadn't been to Millie's tasting. Although she knew that it was Bruce's own choice when it came to who he dated, Millie couldn't help but feel irritated towards the woman. She was unsure of whether this was because Vicki took up so much of Bruce's time, the one person in Millie's life that she wanted to spend more time with than she currently did, or because Vicki was just annoying. Then again, Vicki turned annoying when she took up Bruce's time.

The vile feeling inside of Millie's stomach felt awful and she did not want to feel it at all, though she could not help it.

Pushing away her thoughts about Vicki, she decided to simply have fun that evening and ignore the woman as much as possible. Perhaps Bruce would notice her discomfort around Vicki and take notice of it, realizing that Vicki might not be the woman for him. Though she doubted he was going to do that…

Unless she made sure that he took notice of her discomfort. Perhaps she could wear the pearls he had given her as a Christmas gift a couple years back, to show to him who actually was his family and who was actually important in his life…

 _Gosh, is this what jealousy feels like?_

Shaking her head, she grabbed a book she was currently reading from her bag and read it the rest of the way home. From Gotham Junior High, it took twenty minutes to drive back home to Wayne Manor as the school was placed in the outskirts of Gotham. That day, those twenty minutes took longer than they usually did.

 **Elaine**

"Shit…" Elaine rubbed the back of her head, feeling for any blood as she stayed put on the floor.

Mark quickly ran over to her, crouching down next to her and helping her into a sitting position.

"You okay, kid?"

With an annoyed sigh, Elaine nodded her head. Once again, she had failed to get over the obstacle course. Although she was good at sprinting, martial arts and using a knife, she was bad at acrobatics.

"Why do I even need to know this bullshit!?" she snapped.

Mark sighed, standing up from where he had sat himself down with the small book of instructions resting in his hands. He knew nothing of acrobatics. All he really knew was how to shoot a gun.

He quickly helped her up, though Elaine shrugged his hands off her and turned her back on him. Feeling rather stupid for failing, she felt her eyes tear up, which in turn only made her feel even more stupid. She had never seen any of the men cry when they failed. Instead they would walk over to the bar and drink 'till they didn't remember what they had failed in… Perhaps she should try that.

Though the thought of the burning liquor still made her shiver out of disgust.

"Because the boss wants you to," replied Mark simply. He spoke softly, making Elaine feel at least slightly better. Though she had still failed, and it bothered her tremendously. "You live here for free. But that'll change once you grow up. He'll expect more of you and you gotta be prepared to do what he asks of you then."

She still stayed with her back turned towards him and nothing would have happened, had not the little sniffle escaped her nose, indicating to Mark she was actually close to tears. In an outburst of what to any other person would have seemed like anger, but which was interpreted by Elaine as authority and fatherhood, Mark grabbed her shoulder and aggressively turned her around to face him. The book fell to the floor as he let it go and crouched down in front of her with a stern look on his face.

"Don't cry." Elaine avoided to look at him, not being able to help whether or not she cried. A slap across her face, however, caused her eyes to dry up quickly. "Don't cry," he repeated and she finally looked up at him, nodding her head. "Last night you told me something."

Elaine had to struggle to not smile at the memory of last night. Mark had found her awake in the middle of the night, practicing her knife skills. He had looked quite proud and placed her softly in the bed, joining her to tell her stories about what he and the rest of the crew had done for the boss lately.

 _"I wanna get out there too. I wanna do what you do… I wanna impress the boss too."_

 _"Soon you're gonna have to… He won't let you live her for free all your life. I guess, if you wanna impress him so badly we can start training more intensely."_

"You still wanna impress the boss?"

Elaine nodded her head silently, her eyes drifting away from his again. Though Mark grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, "Then man up. Don't cry. You don't ever cry. You got feelings you wanna let out? Do it by helping the boss. You got hurt feelings? Punch the motherfucker who hurt your feelings. But don't ever cry."

"But… why? I bet Millie cries all the time."

"Then she's weak."

"I'm not weak," she said defiantly, earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Good. I'm not letting you be anyway. The boss will want a lot from you in the future. And I won't be by his side for that long. You'll have to be ready to take over for me."

"Are you leaving?"

"Kid, nobody lives long when you're part of this life. You die, or you end up in Blackgate. Let's just say that we are in no need of pension savings."

"What's a pension?"

Mark sighed, standing back up again, "If you trained as much as you asked questions, you might be good at acrobatics by now."

Elaine scoffed, grabbing the book with instructions from the floor with a defiant look on her face.

"I'm gonna impress the boss. And you."

She turned and walked back over to the gear, jumping up just as the book instructed. As she stood there, balancing on the small plinth, she read through the instructions from the book. Mark watched with amused eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elaine was too far away from Mark to hear him mutter to himself, "Just like her mother…"

The door to the training room – which was basically just a smaller storage room down in the basement that the Penguin had ordered to be reverted into a training room – opened to reveal Pete.

"Mark, we're ready."

Elaine looked back at Mark, knowing he was going out on a mission that evening. It was supposed to be a simple stop-and-take mission, as the men all called it, meaning they were going to take over a smaller piece of Dent's territory. Lately he had been hit by the Bat badly, and his forces had shrunken. The Penguin thought it was the perfect time to take over more land.

"Kid," called Mark and she quickly jumped down and ran over to him. "Don't push yourself too much…" His voice was soft again and he bent down to her height to offer her a sincere smile. "I'll be back soon. It's just a stop-and-take."

"Just a stop-and-take," she repeated with a smile.

He turned and joined Pete by the doorway, not glancing back a last time even though he most certainly could feel Elaine's eyes on him. She sighed, looking back down at the book as the door closed. She was left alone.

Quickly, she returned to her training, still determined to prove to everyone that she could be better than she was now.

 **Millie**

With a cringe, Millie looked at her own reflection in the mirror that was stood beside her large closet. The dress she wore was a beige colour and reached down to her knees. Bruce had given it to her the moment she had come home, having said that it was a present from Vicki and that she, unless she wanted to insult Vicki, should wear it that night to the circus. Millie had needed to resist the urge to put on something else, hating how Bruce's first words had been about Vicki instead of him asking about her report card or how her day had been...

Although it was a beautiful dress, she thought her body didn't really fill the dress the way it should do. She was, according to herself, too young for these kinds of dresses since they were made for girls who had more curves than what Millie currently possessed. Not to mention that it showed way too much of her chest.

Around her neck, she wore the pearls Bruce had given to her. Mostly she wore them to send a message to Bruce, though she also knew that it would blow up in the media if she wore them seeing as they made her look a bit like a younger version of Martha Wayne. Blowing up the media just like that was something the Waynes always did when they appeared out in public, and Millie was not about to stop that tradition by wearing only that strange, stupid dress…

Besides, they also needed to keep up appearance whenever they left the manor together, to show the media that they indeed were classy and rich. Both she and Bruce hated it and usually made fun of what the other had to wear to satisfy the media, though deep-down, Millie enjoyed wearing the fancy dresses. Though not that particular dress…

Wearing shoes that suited with the dress, she walked out of her bed-room, turning the lights off and walking down the hallway towards the large staircase leading down to the entrance hall. She heard Vicki's laugh echo against the walls and frowned, not looking forward to meeting her again. Before walking down, she looked at her own reflection one last time, making sure her hair looked decent. Since Alfred was a _man_ , Millie had to learn to dress herself as she outgrew having Alfred with her quite fast. Which meant that she had to do it herself. Her hair was long and difficult to work with… and it never ended well for her. Usually she caught Alfred trying to fix it for her during dinners when nobody was looking.

Cringing at her effort of having put her hair up with a hair bobble, she loosened her hair and let her hair fall down in waves over her shoulders and down her back.

Walking down the stairs, she tried to look kind and smile at Vicki as she, Bruce and Alfred watched her descend the stairs.

"You look amazing in that dress, doesn't she Brucey?" asked Vicki, looking over at him.

"Yes, very," agreed Bruce with a forced smile, his tone revealing to Millie that something was bugging him about her outfit. When his eyes flickered down to her chest, she blushed as she understood what it was that was bugging him.

"I just need to quickly go to the bathroom, and then we'll be off," said Vicki, placing a small kiss to his cheek before leaving them alone.

The moment Bruce heard the door close behind her, he crouched down in front of Millie, Alfred seeming to have caught onto Bruce's thoughts and handing him a trench coat which Bruce put her in, covering up the entire dress. He buttoned up the trench coat all the way up to her chin, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking deeply into her eyes.

"Is that dress supposed to be so far down your chest?" he breathed.

She couldn't help but laugh at him and she shook her head only after she had calmed down, "I don't know what she was thinking. But this dress is not meant for girls my age."

Bruce shook his head as well, finally chuckling too; "Just keep the coat on, please."

As Millie nodded her head, Bruce stood up again, ruffling up her hair quickly. "You know, my father used to take me to the circus a lot."

A smile spread over Millie's face as he said this, her heart warming up slightly. He never really talked about his own parents, but when he did, Millie always felt honored, knowing that he still felt saddened about what had happened all those years ago. Alfred had told her most of it since Bruce himself didn't often open up about them.

"Naw," said Vicki's voice as she appeared next to them again. "We all set to go?"

Bruce smiled at Vicki, nodding his head. "Now, Millie, you know this is the Wayne Charity Performance, right? Be prepared to meet a lot of reporters and people from the board. They'll be kind, but judging. Act as if you know what you're talking about."

Millie raised an eyebrow at Bruce's remark, watching him smirk as he placed an arm around Vicki's waist; "That's what I usually do."

 **Elaine**

Without Mark or anyone else who usually worked with Mark, such as Pete, around at the club, Elaine felt tremendously alone. It was nearly time for her to leave the foyer, knowing the club was about to be opened and she was still too young to be seen down there yet.

The bartender, a guy named Tim wearing smart white and red clothes, had given her a lemonade to sip on, though drinking it without those around her she… loved?... felt wrong.

The Penguin had come down from his office as well, and he was pacing back and forth. It was taking too long, the stop-and-take mission, and Elaine could see a slightly annoyed look in his eyes. It was his way of showing worry, she figured.

"I-Is this normal?" she asked quietly.

Much to her dismay, the only reason she wanted Mark to return soon was because she would miss him tucking her in. It was such a childish thing that it made her blush tremendously, though she could not help it. Somehow, thinking only of that childish reason made it easier than to think that Mark might be in Blackgate by now… or worse…

The Penguin stopped pacing and glanced at her. She thought she saw the hint of surprise in his eyes, probably due to the fact that Elaine actually never really _talked_ to her boss. Usually his words would reach her via Mark.

He was about to say something, when his eyes seemed to catch onto something. He remained staring at her for quite some time before he simply said, "Mark'll be back. Mark always comes back."

Then he returned to pacing again, "What might not come back is this opportunity! If he messes this up… Oh, there'll be some reprimands waitin' for him here, I can assure you that!"

Elaine stayed silent, simply watching as her boss continued to pace back and forth.

Fifteen minutes later, and right after Elaine had thought her boss might start to make a path in the fancy carpet he was pacing on, the front door flew open. Elaine jumped down from the high chair she was propped up on, her eyes wide.

As though something had just passed through her, like a ghost, relief flooded her entire body and seemed to make her weightless. There, amongst the few men that returned from the fight, Mark was. She was about to run over to him, not thinking much of it, when she saw her boss walk up to Mark instead. Staying put by the high chair, she watched with curious eyes as the Penguin and Mark discussed something, the rest of the men all staggering around them, trying to find a chair to sit down on. They were beaten up badly… Though there were no bullet wounds…

 _Oh no_ , she thought, having already been taught that when someone returned beaten up and there were no bullet holes, it was either the Joker or the Bat. Knowing the Joker probably did not care about the small piece of territory they had been planning on taking over, she knew it was the Bat that had come in their way. At least, that was what she thought. It might also be because Dent's crew was poor, and there were not a lot of weapons circling there anymore.

Suddenly, shocking most people in the room, the Penguin placed a hard slap against Mark's cheek. He fell to the floor, not having been prepared for it. The shock coming from the people in the room had not been because of the Penguin's reprimand – no, that was something everyone was used to – but it had been just how loud the slap had resonated through the room. Yes, the Penguin was known to beat up his own men if they failed him, but this was _Mark_ , his right-hand, the one he trusted with everything… Mark never got such slaps.

"Don't you dare!" he screamed down at Mark.

"I swear, boss! I saw it! There were pictures, files, everything! He knows!" pleaded Mark, staying on the floor and avoiding looking at the Penguin. "I-It wouldn't surprise me if he's going to use this against you."

"I don't understand… how did he even think… We never told anyone!"

Elaine furrowed her brow, not understanding what was going on.

"I guess you haven't seen the papers lately?"

The Penguin glared over at the man who had dared to interfere. It caused Elaine to pay attention to the other men who had returned, and she suddenly realized Pete had made it back, causing her to smile lightly.

"What papers!?"

Tim suddenly moved, shifting to grab something from underneath the bar before he rounded it and walked over to the Penguin. In his hands, he held a rolled up newspaper, though Elaine dared not to move forwards to get a better look at it.

"W-We thought you knew…" added Tim. "That's why nobody said anything. I mean, it's none of our business after all."

Mark stood back up, rubbing his cheek where the Penguin had hit him. Tim unrolled the newspaper, earning an eye-roll from the Penguin.

"I don't read gossip. Nobody cares about gossip about the rich," spat the Penguin.

"Maybe you should start reading them then," added Mark quietly, earning a glare from Oswald before he snatched the paper away from Tim, going through the newspaper quickly.

He stopped somewhere in the middle with his gaze locked onto an article in particular.

The next part seemed to happen in slow motion to Elaine. Just as the Penguin lifted his gaze up from the newspaper to stare over at Elaine, the men standing around him turned their heads over at Elaine too. In the end, everyone stared at her, causing her to feel very intimidated. Mark was the only one to catch up on that and he quickly stopped staring, beginning to walk over to her quickly.

"No." The Penguin's harsh command caused Mark to stop midway. "Don't walk over to her and make her feel better like you always do. This time, I want to hear what she has to say."

He waddled over to where Mark was standing, throwing the newspaper down at the floor in between him and her as though he didn't want to get closer to her, as though she was carrying a disgusting disease. It hurt her slightly, but she ignored it for now, glancing down at the newspaper.

 ** _Wayne Charity Performance at Haly's Circus Tonight!_**

 _Like every year, the Wayne Charity Foundation has come up with yet another brilliant way to collect money from both new and old donators. This year, the annual Charity Performance will be held at Haly's Circus, featuring both the famous Bobbo the Clown and the fantastic Flying Graysons! And although the upper class of Gotham is worried about what to wear or whether they can find their invitations, the rest of Gotham is wondering whether or not Millie Wayne, adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne since four years back, will make an appearance, and in that case, what wonderful dress she will be wearing this time around._

 _Previously, Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne often took their son to see this spectacular performance –_

Elaine gasped, falling down to her knees in front of the newspaper. Her eyes re-read the name 'Millie Wayne' over and over again before continuing with the words 'since four years back'…

"Kid, you've got some explaining to do."

His voice sounded like he was scolding her, though there was more to it. A certain depth to it that made her think he did not really mean the scolding-part, as though he was simply trying to scold her to act like he did not know what it was she was supposed to know. As though there was more to this than what some of the men knew, than what this newspaper knew…

Hatred slowly itched itself towards her heart, clawing open a small entrance felt by Elaine as a heartbreak, before seeping into her vital organ like liquid mercury, poisoning what had once been innocent enough to want to run over to Mark and hug him in a greeting; poisoning what had once been innocent enough to actually cry; poisoning what had been innocent enough to think Millie was still trapped in that awful orphanage… poisoning what had been innocent enough to think Elaine had gotten away to get a better life than Millie…

It was no secret that criminal life, although the freedom was luxurious, was awful compared to what the Waynes had. And it was no secret that Cobblepot felt like the Waynes had robbed him of just that life. The exact story behind that was something Elaine had yet to discover. But she knew her story of why she hated the Waynes. She knew it _now_.

"You said your sister was left in the orphanage." The Penguin was speaking, though his voice was different.

"I thought she was-"

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT!?"

Elaine cringed at his scream, though managed to find enough courage to glare up at him. Mark gave her a pointed look, trying to quietly tell her off for glaring up at the boss, though she didn't care. Something had changed inside of her when she had read that article…

And she suddenly dared to march straight up to the Penguin.

"You think I knew of this and kept it from you?" she snapped. "The last time I had seen her was before I ran off, and then she had been in the orphanage. Did I know someone like _Wayne_ adopted her not long after? No. Of course not. So don't you _dare_ accuse me of keeping this from you."

Her breathing was shallow, as though she had just run a marathon when in fact, all she had done was reprimand her own boss…

 _Oh shit what have I done?_

"Fine," he snarled, narrowing his eyes down at her. "Doesn't mean I don't approve of it."

"Too bad. Ain't much I can do about it now." She clasped a hand over her mouth after she had said that, seeing Mark cringe beside the Penguin.

However, much to everyone's surprise, the Penguin laughed at her words. Yes, _laughed_. Elaine stared at him as though he had just lost his mind, though instead, he simply smiled down at her.

"That's the spirit I've been missing," he said before bending down to her level, "I guess we now have a common enemy. She didn't look for you after you went missing. And she had all the resources to."

"I know…" breathed Elaine, the liquid mercury of despise in her heart tightening before cooling down into a cube of metal, forcing her muscles to work around it as best as they could. The feeling was strange, though it felt good. And she smiled. "Guess we both want revenge."

"I guess so. And when the time comes, we're going to get it too. Together."

"Together," she repeated with a smile.


	7. 6, Falling Graysons

**A/N: Thanks to those who have favourited and followed! :D**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **6.**

* * *

 **Millie**

After at least two hours' worth of fake-smiling; talking to strangers who apparently were of the Wayne Enterprises' board; and avoiding journalists as best as they could, they were _finally_ sitting down inside of the huge tent. The performance was finally beginning. They had gotten some of the best seats, right at the front so they could see everything that happened without being disturbed by someone sitting in front of them. To the small eyes of the child Millie was, the tent looked _huge._ Tall pillars stretching high up to support the tent itself caused Millie to lean her head back in wonder as she stared up, wondering what it would be like to stand up there. The faint smells of popcorn and candy hung in the air along with the scent of hay, and a soft humming noise could be heard from a generator that was stood somewhere unseen by the people.

The show started off with ponies running around while a couple of trainees did some tricks with them. She clapped her hands eagerly, smiling widely. At one point, when the clowns came out, she wanted to turn to Bruce and ask him why everyone was laughing – really, she didn't get it – though Vicki was sitting next to her, while Bruce sat on the other side of Vicki. She saw their fingers were intertwined, and Millie's smile immediately faded into a grumpy one.

One of the clowns saw it and made fun of her, walking up to the front row where she was sat and pointing at her, constantly pretending to be throwing a pie at her. The people laughed at the clown's antics, though Millie did none of the sort. At one point, the clown leaned forward and whispered to her, "Look, kid, just fucking smile so we can get this over with," at which point Millie gave off a forced smile to which everyone applauded the clown before he finally moved off, taking the spotlight with him.

She missed the look Bruce shot her.

Millie's sour look stayed up until the ringmaster walked back on stage, the blinding light shining down on him as he took in the happy looks of everyone (except for Millie's).

"Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls!" he introduced, "Please welcome, the Flying Graysons!"

Her smile reappeared again as she saw the parents both swinging from pillar to pillar, no safety net underneath of them and not a single sign of insecurity coming off the two adults. To the left, their sons stood in the same costumes as their parents. The oldest started his act, and the youngest (Millie deduced the youngest was around her age) watched with a smile on his face. He waited for his turn and when it was, he swung around with such grace that Millie didn't even dare to blink, fearing she'd miss something amazing if she did. Her heart beat fast as she watched them, wondering how they dared to even do that and how they even did it to begin with.

The parents swung their youngest son over to the large pole again, leaving him there as they continued to do some more advanced tricks with their older son, that Millie supposed the kid didn't know yet. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the kid stare at his parents, proudness emerging from him.

She didn't realize something was wrong. Not until Vicki gasped from next to her. Millie had been too occupied to watch the performance and since she was tired after such a long evening, her brain realized what was happening a little too late. One woman screamed louder than the others and for some reason, it sounded like only she did scream. When the two parents and their oldest son had landed on the floor, the trapeze having suddenly broken, Millie realized she had been the one screaming. Her eyes never left the two parents and their oldest son lying on the floor in front of the crowd, a pool of blood quickly encircling them. As they lay there with no obvious signs of injury apart from the blood, Millie thought they almost looked serene. Calm. Asleep.

Though they weren't asleep. And seconds later everyone realized it. Panic filled the room, people standing up and shouting things Millie couldn't understand. She was relieved when she couldn't see the three dead performers anymore due to the crowd of people appearing around them.

She felt devastated. It had been such a wonderful evening, delight having filled her entire body. Though now, she only felt empty. Next to her, Vicki suddenly stood up and walked away, leaving Millie to sit there, alone. Bruce had disappeared as well, Vicki probably having followed him. Though Millie didn't feel like standing up. All she felt like was to go back to before the performance so that she could tell the acrobats to not perform; to run away and live happily ever after like the nice little family they had seemed to be.

For some reason, every single problem that Millie had ever had when it came to her own family, rushed up from her unconscious mind where she had buried them; Elaine; her unknown, most likely dead, parents; her loneliness during those days and nights that Bruce was away... Everything came back to her and that, filled with the panic of having seen the deaths of those three people, caused her to let out a sob.

Quickly, she stood up and walked the opposite way of which Bruce and Vicki had run. It felt like someone was tying a knot in her chest, a feeling which she had never felt before. It frightened her and all she wanted to do was get away from whatever was making her feel like that.

Outside of the tent, close to the parking lot where she knew Alfred was waiting for them by the car, she saw a man run away from the circus. Although she didn't think much of it to begin with since a lot of people were running away, frightened, she did furrow her brow when the man, seemingly dressed as someone working at the circus, started to remove his wig and clothes, leaving him in a dark suit.

He looked back once and made eye contact with Millie before turning back around and running out into the woods, leaving his circus outfit behind. She stayed put for a while, staring at those clothes and wondering about what she had seen. She felt lucky about the fact that this scene had made her forget about her own troubles, though they soon came back to her when she saw Alfred run towards her, worry evident in his eyes.

"Miss Millie," he breathed, though didn't have time to continue talking as Millie quickly embraced him, cutting him off.

He was surprised at first though quickly put his arms around her as well as she hid her face against his coat.

"What happened?" he asked quietly after a while.

"They fell, Alfred," she said quietly. "They fell…"

 **Elaine**

A knock was heard on her door, though Elaine didn't react to it. Instead, she continued to stare out through her window, thinking about the rage she had felt earlier and how nice it had felt…

"Kid," said Mark's voice from the doorway.

She turned her head towards him, seeing him standing there, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You should be in bed."

"I'm not seven anymore," she snapped back at him.

He only rolled his eyes, used to his boss snapping at him which was scarier than when Elaine did it; "You're still under eighteen and you're still under _my_ protection. What I say, you do."

"Not gonna miss that when I turn eighteen," she mumbled loud enough for Mark to hear.

Once again, he rolled his eyes at her, only causing the fire of anger to build up inside of her.

"Tell me why you can't sleep."

It was a demand, not a question, and for some reason it angered Elaine even more. Though, the anger didn't build up more, in fact, it couldn't build up more. It was like a fire exploded inside of her and she had to fight against the impulse to march over to Mark and punch him over and over again. Though, when the explosion died down, it left only burning hot ashes behind along with an empty hole inside of her. A hole which she needed to fill with something.

"I feel angry."

"At your sister."

"I guess…" She let out a sigh, plopping down on her bed.

"You guess?" he asked, joining her on the bed. The bed nearly gave in beneath his weight, it not being the newest of furniture in her room, creaking and complaining as he did join her. He smelled of alcohol and smoke, though those scents were the ones she was used to and therefore, the burning smell in her nose made her feel safe. The other thugs usually smelled of… other vile things. At least she could identify what Mark smelled of. "Either you know what you're mad at, or you're not mad. It's as simple as that."

"Feelings aren't that simple," she retorted.

"Sure they are," he explained. "If a gall of mine doesn't wanna do what I want, I know the anger I feel inside of me is towards her. I don't sit around and think about it."

Elaine rolled her eyes, "I guess I'm angry mostly at Millie. She left me on the streets even though she had all the resources to make someone look for me… But there's a part of me that wonders if, maybe, she did try… and then what Tim calls 'the system' got in the way."

Mark chuckled, "Kid, the system always gets in our way. I mean, if we want to live our lives the way we want to, we get arrested for pete's sake."

"Yeah…" she sighed. "Talking about Pete, are he and the others okay?"

"Probably. Bat hit hard though. Those who didn't return might be at Gotham General for a few days before they're taken to Blackgate."

A thought suddenly struck her, "What-What did you guys find over in Dent's territory?"

Mark glanced at her, his eyes suddenly filled with emotions she didn't even know he could harbor. He let out a long sigh, leaning his elbows on his knees. For a while, he seemed to be contemplating, and Elaine was not going to push him to tell her. She knew her place, after all.

But she was curious. Oh so curious.

"You can tell me. I'll stay quiet about it. Nobody else will know."

"If I tell you this… that, when you're ready for it, you'll get the truth. Will that satisfy you?"

"When am I ready?" she whispered.

Mark looked away from her again, "When you're older."

Her shoulders sagged, "Does the truth have something to do with me?"

"Yeah."

"With my parents?"

"Yeah…"

Quietly, she whispered the word 'okay' before shifting on the bed, placing her head on the pillow and moving in under the covers. Mark watched her for a while as she simply stared out at nothing.

"I liked the anger…"

Mark smiled, standing up and moving over to where her head was propped up on the pillow. She glanced up at him. For a moment it looked like a father was going to bid goodnight to a daughter. But then Mark opened his mouth again and spoke something no father would ever say to his daughter, no ordinary father at least:

"Good. Anger's what got the boss to where he is now. It'll make you strong. As long as you keep it under control."

"Keep it under control…" repeated Elaine obediently.

"Don't tame your demons. They're what makes you unique. They're what makes you stand out from all those fake people following the system, getting everything handed to them on a silver plate."

"They're what makes me differ from Millie."

Mark nodded his head, tucking her in.

 **Bruce**

He stood watching as Commissioner Gordon talked to the young boy whose parents and brother were now dead. The Commissioner had placed his coat around the shaking boy and was currently talking to him quietly. All around them, people stood giving their testimony to police officers or waiting for their ride back home. Though their voices were hushed to Bruce who could only watch Richard Grayson sit there, staring down at the ground in front of him, occasionally nodding at something Gordon said.

He was placed on the back of a truck, sitting there clutching the coat that had been wrapped around him. His blue eyes were wide and filled with sadness, though he didn't cry. Bruce recognized himself in the boy at that moment. When he had been about Dick's age, Bruce had been sitting next to Gordon in the same way after his parents had been killed, murdered in front of his eyes. The wide eyes of the boy, filled with sadness, was something Bruce had seen in many pictures from his childhood life and it was a recognizable look for Bruce.

When a hand was placed on his arm, he looked away from Dick and over to Vicki who was standing next to him now, smiling softly at him.

"It's sad, isn't it?" she asked before shaking her head. "I wonder what happened."

"Me too," said Bruce before the both of them were interrupted by the Commissioner walking over to them.

"Mr. Wayne," he said, nodding his head at Bruce before turning his gaze over at Vicki; "Miss Vale. Sorry you had to witness that."

The both of them didn't reply, not finding the correct words to do so.

"How's the boy?" was all Bruce managed to say.

To say that he was in shock over what he had witnessed would be a lie. He had seen much worse things out there in the darkness of Gotham; clowns, ninjas, murderers, demons… psychopaths with dreadful and horrific ideas that would scare even Crane.

The only thing Bruce could think about was the loneliness he felt after his parents' death which he knew the boy was feeling now as well. Of course, he was a part of the circus, a family of its own. Though he didn't need the circus right now. What he needed was a stabile home and an education. Perhaps a loving family was what he needed; not that the circus wouldn't provide the boy with all of that of course. Bruce felt pity for the boy and he knew that what the boy needed the most, apart from everything just mentioned, was someone that understood him. Bruce did, he had been in Dick's shoes before. And sometimes, it still felt like he was. Although Bruce had had Alfred during the hard times that came after the death of this parents, it had been different. Alfred had been one person apart from Gordon, and although he had helped, it wouldn't have hurt to have more people around him.

"I don't know," replied Gordon. "He's not saying much."

"Where is he going now?" asked Bruce.

"There's no legal guardian here at the circus and although they've complained, I can't allow him to stay here," said Gordon with a sigh. "Most likely, he'll go to the orphanage."

"He can stay with me."

It had been an impulsive thing to say. It had been something naïve as well. But he had said it and although it surprised him just as much as it surprised Vicki and Gordon, he felt no regret. For some reason, Bruce felt like taking Dick in would be good not only for Dick, but also for Bruce since he now had the chance to tell his younger self what Bruce himself had wanted to hear at that age.

All he could hope for was that it would work out, what with his secret life during the night.

 **Millie**

"Dark hair and… I don't know. I don't think he was spinky," said Millie with a shrug of her shoulders to which the detective sighed before nodding his head softly at her.

"Great. We'll check it out," said the detective, other police officers picking up the clothes the man had thrown off of him before placing them in a bag and leaving the area.

"Detective Bullock," called Alfred, stepping forward, causing the detective to turn back around. "You haven't seen Master Bruce, have you?"

"I think he's over by that Grayson kid," the detective replied before walking away, a nonchalant strut coming off of his steps.

Millie watched the man with the slight beer belly walk away, for some reason deciding to like him. Although he didn't really have the looks and the personality for it, Millie couldn't help but find him a little handsome and since he was listening to her statement so well, believing her every word even though she was just a child in his eyes, she also found him kind.

Alfred was about to say something to Millie, when Bruce and Vicki walked over to them, hand in hand. Millie narrowed her eyes slightly, though stayed as calm as possible, not wanting to seem mean.

"Let's go back to the manor," said Bruce, glancing over at Vicki. "We can drop Vicki off at her apartment."

"Yes, I've got early work tomorrow so," she said as they all followed Alfred to the car again.

"Where were you?" asked Millie, feeling a little taken aback by the fact that Bruce wasn't asking her how she felt or where she had been.

"I was with the Commissioner," explained Bruce, earning a look from Vicki.

"And the Grayson boy," added Vicki quietly.

"Dick, yes," continued Bruce. "I wanted to help the boy as much as possible."

"That's nice," said Millie, nodding her head. "What are we going to give him?"

"A roof over his head, food on the table, education and a loving family," said Bruce, causing Millie to cock an eyebrow at him.

"You mean, he's going to the orphanage so he can be adopted. Or, is he staying here?" asked Millie as Alfred opened the car door for Vicki to enter. "The orphanage is not going to provide him with that much… Believe me…"

"No, he's going to live with us."

 **Millie (a few hours later)**

Dick Grayson had not been allowed to come with them back home immediately. Instead things needed to go through a special sort of process before he could. Millie and Alfred had waited by the car while Bruce and Gordon made sure the boy truly wanted to live with him, and once Bruce was satisfied with his answer, the three returned back home. First, though, they had to drop off Vicki at her home. Luckily Millie did not have to watch Bruce 'say' goodbye to her as they entered her apartment for that bit.

Alfred kept glancing back at Millie during their wait for Bruce to return, though said nothing. And once home, Millie immediately went up to her room. Things were going to change now. Her place in the family was going to have to be shared with the Grayson boy, even though he was not going to be officially adopted. They would not be siblings, but they would have to share Bruce's attention. Seeing as Millie already had troubles sharing Bruce's attention with Vicki or any other woman, she thought there would be some troubles for her to adjust. Though she was aware of her problems… so surely that fact would make it easier to stay friendly to Dick, right?

She placed herself on the bed after changing into her pajamas, staring up at the ceiling… Her mind was blank, just as she wanted it to be. Was it not blank, her mind kept returning to those three bodies lying there on the ground. Dead. Bloody.

A knock on her door roused her from her unmoving state, and she sat upright when Bruce entered the room. His eyes were cast down to the floor and he moved over to Millie with unsure steps. For a while, he simply stood there, staring at anything but Millie. And then his gaze caught sight of something and he suddenly looked relieved.

"You still sleep with Tiny?"

Millie glanced to her right, where her teddy was lying on a pillow, his glass eyes staring up at her. She grabbed the soft teddy and held him in her hands.

"Yeah."

Bruce sat down next to her on the bed, looking at the teddy though still avoiding looking at her.

"I had a teddy once when I was a kid. I remember my dad always used him to tell me… to tell me news I didn't like. Maybe he would have to go away for a while to work, or maybe they both had to go away for a while… Basically, he did that so he would not have to face telling me something he felt bad about… or uncomfortable with…"

Millie stared at Bruce intently as he reached out towards Tiny, gently holding his head up so he was truly staring up at Millie. She feared for a moment that Bruce was gonna tell her that he would have to go away for a while, which she would not have been happy about as this was her summer break.

But then Bruce began to speak, moving the teddy's head with his words as though it was Tiny telling her this. And her eyes filled up with tears. Not sad ones. But happy ones. Loved ones. It was as though her body was overwhelmed by these feelings and the only way it could handle everything was by pushing some of the feelings out of her in the form of tears.

"Bruce is still going to love you even if there's a second child in the family."

 _Bruce is still going to love you…_

He loved her.

Not saying a word, Millie embraced Bruce tightly, putting her small arms around his neck and resting her head against his broad shoulder. Bruce tensed up, but still hugged her back. When he noticed her crying, he began to rock them back and forth slowly, and never in her life had Millie felt this; protection, fatherly love, the love of a parent. This was all new to her.

And she would be damned if she was ever going to let it slip away from her.

"I know that…" she whispered quietly. "I know that… dad…"

Bruce stopped tensing up, now hugging her back more intensely. That was the first time she had called him her father. Somehow… that made their relationship more official than that stupid adoption paper did.


	8. 7, Wayne and Grayson

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **7.**

* * *

 **Millie**

The first few weeks had been awkward. Not only was it strange for Millie to have to share Bruce's attention, but Dick was having a hard time adapting as well and the mood in the manor was quite sullen. Dick had mourned, of course, the loss of his parents and brother. However, after the funeral and after he had said goodbye to his old life, he slowly started to feel better and better and the mood in the manor got better as well.

Though she was unsure of what she could do to help Dick heal even faster. Neither had talked much to each other yet, and although she tried to find the opportunities to talk to him, she always failed to. She had no friends at school, and when someone wanted to talk to her, _they_ always found _her_. Therefore, she had no real experience in making friends, causing her quite a bit of distress. Her time at the depressing orphanage had not helped her understand how to talk to people either. Therefore, Dick and Millie remained strangers.

Until one day, almost a month after the funeral. Her stomach had been growling and she had wanted to go down to Alfred to ask for a sandwich. Though when she reached the ground floor, she passed Dick who was walking the opposite way.

Only some parts of the manor were in use currently. Some of the bedrooms, some of the bathrooms, some of the multiple sitting areas and the kitchen of course. During her first couple of weeks there, Millie had explored every inch of the manor and found out that the rooms that were not in use had white drapes over its furniture or simply no furniture in them at all. The bathrooms all worked, though.

Dick was currently headed towards a part of the manor that was not in use. Down the hallway he was going, there only existed a bathroom and an unused sitting area. And, of course, the large ballroom which Bruce had never used for parties. At first she was going to let him be, figuring he was simply exploring. But then she noticed something in his hand, pieces of paper and duct tape…

He was up to something.

Biting her lip, she forgot about the sandwich and begun to follow Dick, walking quietly so as to not alert him. She watched him indeed enter the large ballroom, closing the door behind him. Silence filled the hallway and she crouched down to look through the keyhole.

Nothing.

But he was in there. The room was simply too big for her to see all of it. For a few minutes, she stood there contemplating whether or not she should enter. Her curiosity told her to, but her heart told her not to. What if he was doing something secret that he did not want her, a girl he had barely said anything to yet, to find out?

Her fingers rested on the doorknob suddenly. Her mind was screaming at her to either do it or not, but that she should make the decision quickly so as to not look stupid in case someone saw her standing there in front of the door.

Should she?

Or should she not?

Suddenly, something clicked inside of her and she had made her decision. Turning the doorknob, she entered the ballroom.

"Why are you following me?" His voice wasn't angry or annoyed, simply curious.

She blushed, her hand still on the doorknob as she stood in the ballroom, staring at Dick. He was facing her, his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to have been waiting for her to enter, knowing all along that she had been there…

"I-I usually sit out here during the afternoons," replied Millie, feeling her heart beat quicken.

"No, you don't," he replied, "You sit over on the balcony with a book. You're not even holding a book."

Millie stayed silent, letting out a long breath before replying; "Sorry."

"I don't care," he said, shrugging as he walked over to her, placing his hands in his pockets; "Just want to know why."

"I was curious of what you do during the days. I never see you and I barely know you," confessed Millie, shrugging as well. "It's been four weeks… I just felt weird not knowing you and then I saw you walking over here where no one ever walks because it's not in use and – I'm ranting, aren't I?"

"Mm, but you're ranting good things. So, you seem to have an eye for, uh, deduction?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I do?"

He chuckled, "You just deduced that I was doing something shady, hence why you followed me. So, yeah, I would say so. Most people would just think I needed the bathroom."

"Even if I do… Is that a good thing?"

He grabbed the doorknob from her and closed the door behind them. "Come." Grabbing her arm, he led her to the other side of the ballroom. Their footsteps made loud noises against the shiny floor which echoed against the tall, empty walls. The glass chandelier above them was filled with cobwebs, though it was still beautiful.

Propped against the wall were some left over furniture. They were all shielded from dust and sunlight by white sheets thrown over them. Dick walked over to one furniture in particular, removing the white sheet from it with one tug. It revealed a large note board on wheels. Though it was not the note board itself that amazed Millie, it was the vast number of notes, pieces of newspaper and pictures, attached to it.

"What is this?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I want justice for my family's murder. This is all the notes I've managed to gather. Potential suspects, gangs, shady deals the circus made, people who might have had a grudge against my family – everything," he explained. At first, he looked a little cocky and proud, but when Millie didn't say anything, his stature shrunk slightly. "D-Do you want to help?"

She looked at him then, a shocked expression on her face, "But this – This is major crime investigation!"

Of course it was not, the two kids could barely do anything to gather more intel. Millie knew this in the back of her head, though she also knew this was his way of coping. Friends helped other friends cope, right? If she helped him cope, perhaps he would become her friend.

"Okay."

Dick's eyes lit up, "You won't tell Bruce?"

"No! He'd stop us. No, I'll help you, and we'll do it all together, on our own," smiled Millie. She stretched out a hand, "I promise."

With electric blue eyes, Dick smiled at her and shook her hand, "Great."

The amount of fun two kids could have trying to find a murderer was unbelievable. They got Alfred to drive them to the library where they would sneak around in the archives to try and find some more clues. Then, copying those clues, they would return and add them to the note board.

A lot of afternoons were spent there in which the two children would simply sit and stare at the board. Sometimes they would speculate, come up with new theories, and sometimes Millie would try to cheer Dick up as they had gotten no further than the day they had started. Millie had given Dick her description of the man she had seen, but it had so far not helped them much.

Two weeks later, the two children had bonded tremendously over a murderer. And Millie, albeit she understood how dangerous it was what they were doing, looked forward to the afternoons she would spend with Dick. However, good things always come to an end. And often, those endings come abruptly.

One afternoon in the late summer, Millie walked with quick steps towards the room far down Wayne Manor. It was sunny outside, though she did not think about sitting outside when she could be spending time with Dick in the ballroom. However, when she saw what was going on in the room, she gasped loudly.

"What?"

Dick was standing by the note board, removing the pictures and the evidence they had managed to gather. He didn't reply to her and simply continued to remove the evidence, placing it all in a small box.

"What are you doing!?" exclaimed Millie, striding over towards him and grabbing the picture he had been removing from his hands, her eyes glancing down at it and seeing that it was a picture of his parents, himself and his brother posing in their Flying Graysons' outfit, a young boy barely the age of a toddler was with them as well. The toddler had dark brown hair and happy, blue eyes.

"It's over, Millie," he said, earning a shake of Millie's head.

"No, it's not. We're close! Don't give up now," she said, gesturing towards the picture. "What would your parents say if you simply gave up?"

To her surprise, he glared at her, catching her off guard since he had never been unkind to her.

"He's been caught. I'm not _giving up_."

Millie gasped again, her eyes widening as he grabbed the picture from her hands and placed it in the box.

"Bruce told me," he said, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Who was it?" asked Millie quietly.

"Tony Zucco," he said quietly, pausing in removing the evidence from the board for a minute after he had said this before he continued.

"The mafia boss… Why?" asked Millie.

"He wanted something from Haly. Didn't get it and decided to get revenge," said Dick simply, still avoiding eye contact with Millie as he spoke. "We had him… But I…"

For several quiet minutes, Millie simply watched as Dick removed the last evidence from the board. He picked it up when he was done, his hands resting on either side of it and his head hanging low. Dick's gaze was on the box, though she knew that his mind was on something else.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, watching his face for any sign of emotions. However, he stayed monotone.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Lifting the box, he started to walk away from the couch and board, leaving Millie behind. She was unsure of what to do; to follow him or not. Though in the end, she decided to stay behind, letting him have his privacy which he probably needed after all of this. She found it odd that the killer was suddenly found, though she didn't think much of it. The police usually didn't do much but when they did, that deed would be done just a little too late. They were slow but worked quite well if they truly were needed.

She sat down on the couch, staring at the empty board and wondering what she was going to do the rest of the summer. Of course, she hadn't planned for their little game to take the entire summer, but she had hoped it would last a little longer and she had hoped that they would be the ones to catch the killer. It would've been a nice headline in the papers; _two eleven years old children take down mafia boss with their brilliant minds_. Though it would never happen and it probably never would've happened either.

Sighing, she stood up and covered up both the couch and the board with the white sheets, making sure the dust indeed wouldn't touch the furniture before leaving the room, closing the doors behind her. She had lost the one thing that had made Dick and her actually spend time together, and she was back on square one when it came to friends.

 **Elaine**

Quietly, she snuck out of her room and down the hallway. The Penguin had ordered her away from the current business, though she wanted to see what he was doing; what he was up to. Mark was with him and that only meant that it truly was some important business that he was dealing with, important enough to need his right-hand man next to him in case things got ugly. She thought that it was perhaps an important client or partner, or perhaps someone had lied to him; something that the boss didn't quite approve of. There were so many possibilities to why he had called his best men to be with him and she desperately wanted to know the real reason; the truth.

 _Besides_ , she thought to herself as she tried to convince herself to move on, _if I'm ever going to be the right-hand man, I need to find out how to act in these situations._

She heard voices coming from his office. One she recognized immediately as the Penguin's and one she didn't recognize at all, her curiosity growing at that fact. She snuck over to the slightly opened door, placing her ear against the door and listening in on their conversation. Although she didn't hear much, she heard the words weapons and banks, knowing already what was going on.

It was no secret that the Penguin was the man to go to when one needed weapons. At least, if you needed weapons and you weren't afraid to risk owing him a favor, something that could turn into something bad. Over the past four years she had lived with him, she knew the difference between owing him a favor and owing him money. Usually, the consequences of owing him a favor were worse than the sum of money he craved.

Elaine jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder and before she knew it, she was being dragged inside the office by her hair. She let out a few whimpers of pain before she realized the situation she had gotten herself in. In front of her, the Penguin sat behind his desk, an annoyed look on his face as he watched her stand there, the thug's fingers still wrapped around her hair, holding her put. In front of the Penguin's desk, a man sat with his legs crossed and his hands placed neatly in his lap. All around them, loyal men were standing and she immediately recognized Mark who stood next to Oswald, his hands clasped together in front of him. Some men were even dressed differently than the Penguin's and she guessed that those were the ones belonging to the man sitting with his legs crossed in front of her boss.

There was a strange smell in the office, one she hadn't smelled before and she thought it smelled of iron; the smell one gets when you hold a coin in your hand for too long, warming it up and letting some of the metallic smell enter the skin of your palm. She hated it and, instead of starting to cry from the pain and the horrible situation she was in, she scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"It stinks in here," she said, earning a chuckle from the man sitting in front of the desk.

He turned around, showing off the right side of his face, revealing that he had dark eyes and dirty blonde hair. He watched her for a while with amused eyes before he gestured towards the thug holding her to let her go.

"Finally," she grunted.

"Nice to meet you," said the man, standing up and facing her, causing her to flinch backwards.

Although his right side had looked alright, his left one looked horrible. His flesh was burned and although flesh usually healed with the help of the right treatment, this man had obviously not taken his medicine and therefore, his skin still looked freshly barbecued. It almost looked slightly wet and it made her feel disgusted. However, she remembered Oswald's words of how to behave in their line of work, and stretched her spine so she was standing as tall as she could in front of the man.

He chuckled at her, having seen her flinch and then suddenly grow serious; "Nasty, isn't it?"

"Dent," warned the Penguin.

"What? I'm not allowed to talk to the pretty little girl? She yours? Who am I kidding, I know she's yours," chuckled the man before crouching down in front of Elaine; "I'm Harvey Dent or, Two-Face."

Elaine smiled although she felt like turning around and running away. She hadn't met any of the other bosses in Gotham and she suddenly didn't feel prepared to either. She was supposed to learn all about those other villains so that they couldn't use her ignorance against her, but had not gotten there yet in her training.

He smirked at her taken aback look before standing back up, turning to look at the Penguin who had stood up, a glare on his face.

"She's perfect."

"No," replied the Penguin, shaking his head. "That wasn't the deal."

"The deal was that you gave me a couple of men of my tasting," said Dent, smirking. "Don't worry, it's just for a couple of years! Just until I've gotten my own force back from after the run in with Bats. Just until they're out of jail. Just until your recent attack against me has been repaid."

"My answer remains the same! I ain't giving you her," replied the Penguin, banging his fist against the desk, the men around him tensing up, their hands slowly moving over towards their guns.

When Harvey's men were about to do the same, Dent lifted his hand, hindering them from doing so. "Come now, old friend. We don't want a fight, now do we? Perhaps this can be good for you too? After all, so far, I seem to be the only one-"

"You get as many of my men as you like," interrupted the Penguin, rounding his desk, a strange look on his face as he shifted so that he was standing in front of Elaine, shielding her from the nasty looking man. "But you _know_ you can't take _her_."

Elaine frowned, confused by the Penguin's sudden change in heart about her. He had never really cared about her and always only wanted her as his "future assassin" or "future right-hand woman" or as he enjoyed calling her; "Secret weapon". So, what had changed over the past few weeks? Had she missed something?

"And you _know_ that with my information I can change the way the streets look at you. I can let people know your dark little secret. I can let people know how to _control_ you. Is that what you want?" asked Dent.

"You're already doing just that," said the Penguin through gritted teeth.

"Come on, old friend. Do you really think I'm gonna let anyone get to her? I'm gonna use her for some missions, maybe I'll even manage to teach her one or two things. Don't worry, she'll be in good hands."

Elaine shook her head, suddenly scared. Although it wasn't the best place to live at, she still enjoyed it at Penguin's place. He had given her a home when no one else wanted to give her one and now, she was going to be forced to leave. Forced to leave her boss, her home and _Mark_.

She glanced at him, seeing him standing there with wide eyes as he stared at her. When he noticed that she was watching him, he smiled at her, though she saw right through the smile, seeing the look of despair when he listened to the conversation between Cobblepot and Dent. He knew something that she did not. And she feared Dent had struck a nerve when he told him Elaine could be used to control him. If there was one thing the Penguin hated, it was not being in control.

"Fine."

Elaine gasped.


	9. 8, Tiny

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **8.**

* * *

 **Millie**

The same night she had found out Dick's murderer had been caught, Millie was sitting in the living room, staring at a turned off TV. During dinner, she had tried to start a conversation with Dick, though she had failed. She feared they were going to lose the connection they had had, and she hated that thought. Dick was her first, real friend… Why would he suddenly just give her the cold shoulder?

Something moved out of the corner of her eye. Alfred had entered the room. She avoided looking at him, wondering what he might think of her sitting there in front of a turned off TV.

He must think her crazy.

Instead of mentioning the TV, he began dusting a nearby shelf, clearing his throat once before uttering a few words, "Is something wrong, Miss Millie?"

She glanced over at him, staring at the back of his head while he continued to dust off the shelves.

"No," she lied.

"If I may," he started, turning around to look her in the eyes, "Master Dick is out in the gardens."

She blinked at him. He shot her a knowing look, hiding a soft smile that wanted to creep up onto his lips. Then, suddenly, as though he had not just read her mind, he turned back around to the shelves again and continued to clean.

Without a word, Millie shot up from the sofa. She was going to try again, and if it didn't work this time, she was going to try again and again until he either hated her or wanted to be her friend again. After all, wasn't that what it was like to make friends?

She headed towards the balcony door, threw it open and ran out into the night. Running past the fountain of a fish spitting up water, she made her way towards the garage. One part of the garage was a sort of gym, as far as she knew, while the rest was filled with vintage and expensive cars. Either he was there, or he was roaming the gardens in the darkness on his own, which she doubted.

Her deduction had been correct. There, through the small windows, she could see the light was on. And high up in the air, Dick was doing push-ups. Yes, up in the air. He hung in between two poles, lifting his body up and down. She entered the garage, watching him for a while. His arms shook and sweat ran down his forehead. In all honesty, it was an impressive sight.

Once he caught sight of her, he pushed himself up into the air, did a twirl or two and landed on the floor gracefully. She clapped her hands, and no matter how hard Dick might have been trying to avoid her, his pride still caused him to smirk.

Dick grabbed a towel from nearby and started patting away the sweat from his forehead while Millie approached him.

"That was cool."

"It was nothing compared to other stunts I've done."

"I know, I saw some of them," explained Millie before biting her lip. Her chest tightened each time she tried to ask him straight out why he was trying to avoid her, and so she decided against that. Instead, she watched him as he walked over to a tap and drank some water.

"I wanna learn."

He choked on the water he had been drinking, coughing for a while before turning towards her with wide eyes, "Are you mental?"

She furrowed her brow, "Of course not. I just want to learn. I mean, you don't have to teach me everything you know, just, like, the basics."

"Th-The basics of what?"

"Acrobatics, silly," giggled Millie.

Dick continued to stare at her as though she had grown a second head and she finally sighed, thinking him to be childish at this point, "What? You don't want to? 'Cause I can leave then-"

"No, it's not that… I, I guess I can teach you. If you really, _really_ want."

She nodded her head vigorously and removed her cardigan. "I'm ready."

Dick laughed at her, confusing her slightly, "You can't do anything while wearing a skirt."

Blushing, Millie looked down at her attire, "I've got leggings on underneath, I can remove-"

"NO! I mean – uh – we can start training some other day." A blush crept up on his cheeks as well and he sheepishly itched the back of his head. "Like tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow's a good day. And you can wear pants, you know?"

Millie cocked an eyebrow at him before letting out a chuckle, "Fine. Tomorrow. But only on one condition."

"What?"

"You don't ignore me anymore."

Silence filled the garage then, only the sound of crickets playing their sensual songs outside in the bushes being heard vaguely in the background. A drop of sweat fell down his forehead, landing with a splash on the floor beneath him. Slowly, he nodded, staring down at the towel in his hands.

Still not talking, Millie and Dick began to walk back to the house. The sound of crickets was swapped with the sounds of the fountain then. And Dick suddenly paused, staring at the fish barfing up water.

"I feel awful."

She stood next to him, staring at him.

"Bruce was mad. He told me not to let you in on everything…"

"On what?" she asked quietly.

Dick shook his head, "I can't tell."

"Does it have to do with your family's murderer?"

"Sorta…"

"But the police caught him. You feel good about that, right?"

"The police? The police didn't catch him. It was Robin and Batman."

"Robin? Who's Robin?"

"The Boy Wonder? Batman's new assistant – honestly, do you not read the papers?"

Millie shrugged, giving him an apologetic look. "Okay, so it's not that… Then what did Bruce not want you to let me in on?"

Dick sighed, leaning forwards closer to the water. He pouted, glancing over at Millie with a sudden mischievous look on his face, "This." Before Millie had the time to react, Dick had splashed water all over her. She gasped, tensing up and feeling the cold drops of water run down her back. He laughed at her expression.

"Oh, so that's how this is going to be?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Very much so," replied Dick, splashing some more water over her.

"Stop!"

"Na-ah!"

Millie tried to run away, but Dick followed her, cutting her off from running away from the fountain which forced her to keep close to the water so he could continue splashing her. Once she was dripping wet, but smiling nonetheless, Bruce suddenly appeared. His towering presence made Dick halt immediately, seizing to splash Millie and instead staring at Bruce with wide eyes. Millie bit her lip to try and keep in the laughter, finding it oddly hilarious that Dick had been busted.

"What's going on here?" asked Bruce with a boomingly patriarchal voice.

"I-uh," stuttered Dick.

Bruce walked over to the fountain, stared at the barfing fish for a while before suddenly dipping down and running his hand through the water, successfully splashing water onto Dick's face. He pouted, spitting out some water he had accidentally caught in his mouth.

"Oh, hilarious…"

Bruce glanced over at Millie. "Get him."

Millie laughed loudly while Bruce and she were now the two people splashing Dick. He tried to run, but Bruce always managed to cut him off, forcing him back to the fountain so Millie could have her revenge. When Bruce accidentally got some water on Millie, which in turn caused Dick to laugh, Millie gasped loudly and dramatically before beginning to splash Bruce as well. It was a full on war by then and the only winner seemed to be whoever got the most water on the other.

Even Alfred tried to interfere at one point, though Bruce barely even listened to him and instead splashed him with water.

"Oi! You little – I'll get you Master Bruce! Come 'ere!"

They were acting like kids. But Millie had never had so much fun in her life. She stopped at one point to take in Dick, Bruce and Alfred splashing each other, watching them for a while with a smile on her face.

How had she gotten so lucky?

And then Dick noticed she wasn't getting any wetter, and immediately attacked her.

Suffice to say, no one was really a winner of that water fight. But everyone had somehow bonded. It was one of those moments that Millie would never forget again.

 **Elaine**

She was going to act strong. She was going to show to everyone that she was okay with this, although she really wasn't. Most of the Penguin's men were standing in the empty nightclub, watching Dent's five thugs walk outside to their van. Some shook hands with them, recognizing each other from prison or previous heists, though most simply nodded their heads in silence. Elaine walked behind the five men and as she walked past Mark, she merely nodded her head at him. He did the same towards her and although it might look cold to anyone outside, it really wasn't.

Before the goodbye that was happening now, Mark and Elaine had met up in her room, hugging and bidding each other farewell. They both had to keep their masks on while around others and although Mark was the closest thing to a friend Elaine had, they couldn't show that to the others. It felt wrong…

The hug hadn't felt wrong though…

"Take care of Tiny for me," was all Millie said as she walked past Mark, seeing him nod out of the corner of her eyes.

She followed the five men outside, seeing a van parked there, the back doors open. The five men entered the van, though Elaine hesitated. She turned back towards the Penguin, looking at him as he stood by the door of his club. Although he watched her with a monotone look on his face, his eyes showed an emotion she had never seen before. There was something different about him, as if Harvey Dent's intel on the Penguin had caused him to feel tense and be more on edge. It was odd since almost nothing seemed to worry the Penguin in such a way, but this time there was something else. Something was wrong and Elaine couldn't help but feel scared about what it was.

If something spooked the Penguin, it had to be something big and truly dangerous.

"Enter," one of Dent's men said, stepping towards Elaine.

She glared at the thug, though did as she was forced to do, sitting down inside of the van, the doors closing behind her. Her heart sank down into her stomach as the engines roared to life and the van started to move. However, when her eyes met the gaze of Pete, one of the men the Penguin had given to Dent in exchange for other goods, she felt slightly better knowing that she was not completely alone.


	10. 9, Secrets

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **9.**

* * *

 **Millie**

 **2 years later (thirteen years old)**

With a heavy sigh, Millie let herself fall down onto the sofa in the main living room, relieved that it was finally weekend and that she barely had any homework to do. She truly needed sleep and some relaxation after her past week which had been filled with examinations. It was over now, though, and she only had a single small assignment that she needed to finish before Monday. Though she was not going to do that now. First, she was going to relax.

"Can't believe we made it through that week," breathed Dick as he entered the living room behind her, seeing her lying on the sofa which made him smirk at her amusingly.

He had grown up quite a bit physically, though he hadn't changed that much mentally. And although he indeed had changed physically, it was nothing compared to what Millie had changed. Her curves had already begun to show and thanks to her weekly training sessions with Dick, she had a pretty good physique. Yet, her muscles were nothing compared to Dick's.

They were now both thirteen years old and close friends. It felt as though the both of them knew everything about each other even though they didn't. Millie had never told him about her twin sister that lived out there somewhere and Dick; well he had his own very big secret which he both couldn't and didn't dare to tell her.

"I know… Just have one assignment this weekend," sighed Millie placing her arm over her eyes, relaxing her tense muscles.

"I have nothing," boasted Dick, lifting her feet up so he could sit down, eventually letting her rest her feet in his lap.

"Good," she said, glancing over at him from underneath her arm; "Then you can help me."

With a roll of his eyes and a scoff, he looked at her; "You wish."

"Master Bruce will be home shortly," announced Alfred as he entered the living room. "He will be bringing a friend along."

Both Millie and Dick jokingly gagged to which Alfred couldn't help but smile amusingly at. It happened a lot that Bruce brought a woman with him back home after work and so, they knew what was awaiting them; an evening filled with Bruce's "discreet" flirting and touching underneath of the table while Dick and Millie sat there, waiting for dinner to be over.

"I would advise you to be nice. Master Bruce and Miss Kyle have been friends for quite some time," said Alfred as he walked over towards the coffee table, grabbing the bag Millie had thrown on it, most likely going to place it in her room.

"How long?" asked Millie.

" _Friends_?" asked Dick, earning an amused look from Millie.

"Since Master Bruce was no younger than your age, if I remember correctly," said Alfred before he exited the living room.

Both Dick and Millie widened their eyes at the answer, surprised.

"Childhood friends?" asked Dick quietly.

"So, no flirting?" asked Millie hopefully.

"Or just that," said Dick with a grunt.

"You know, we could have some fun with this." Millie sat up, keeping her feet in Dick's lap.

"How?" asked Dick.

"How about we try to get some embarrassing Bruce-childhood-memories out of this Kyle woman," suggested Millie.

"What, without pissing Bruce off? Yeah, good luck," scoffed Dick before a flicker was ignited in his eyes. "Then again… Imagine how we could use those memories against him!"

"We could blackmail him!" exclaimed Millie, happy that he was on her level when it came to mischief.

"This is going to be amazing," announced Dick proudly, lifting his hand up to high five Millie.

 **Elaine**

Quickly and just like she had been taught, Elaine made her way through the vent, crawling through the cramped, hot space. Sweat poured down her forehead from the effort, though she didn't let the warmth hinder her from doing what she was supposed to do. They had been training for this moment since the day she had been taken in to Dent's crew and she was not about to let Two-Face down. She was going to show what she could do.

The only problem was that Elaine still grew and that the plan had been made for an eleven years old girl. Luckily, she hadn't grown tall enough to not fit through the vent at all. It was just a little cramped, that was all.

Resting in her mouth, in between her teeth, was a dagger (the very dagger the Penguin had given her that one time before Christmas all those years ago, with its red handle) which was the only thing she needed and the only thing she was allowed to use, during the mission. Outside of Gotham's biggest bank, a van was parked with thirteen men cramped in the back, waiting for the doors to be opened by _her_. There was a lot of pressure on her that she did everything correctly and precisely according to plan. Otherwise, she would be the one to get caught.

Reaching the end of the vent, she expertly jumped down it, landing on the floor on all fours as quietly as she could. Although she had a mask covering her face, she would still be exposed if the cameras caught sight of her or if any of the motion sensors picked her up. After two years of memorizing exactly where each camera was and where each motion sensor was, she managed to get to the security office without triggering any alarms.

There in the office were multiple screens all showing the feed from the security cameras. She smirked as she walked over to the desk, placing the knife she had in-between her teeth on the desk and beginning to hack the security system. Although she knew nothing of it, she had been taught exactly what to do from someone who knew _everything_ about hacking computers. Therefore, it only took her thirty seconds, which was faster than any other time she had done it during her training.

Once again grabbing her knife, she walked over to the opposite wall in the office, seeing the panel that operated the motion sensors hanging there. Without hesitating, she plunged her knife through the wires, cutting the circuits and "turning" the system off at the same time. She had only been taught to turn the security cameras off the way they were supposed to be turned off since destroying the computer would alarm the police or at least some guards that would come and check the place out. The motion sensors were apparently not rigged to any back-up alarm if any wires were cut.

With a relieved yet cocky smirk on her lips, she started to make her way towards the front door where they had planned that the rest of the crew would enter once Elaine opened the doors. There was a third alarm that secured the doors, of course, and Elaine quickly repeated the same motion on that alarm's panel when she reached it as she had done with the motion sensors. Now, they had at least an hour or two (granted nobody saw them and called the cops) to get as much money from the bank as possible before someone would come and check on the bank since it was odd for the alarm to be turned off by hand that late at night.

"Come on, idiots!" exclaimed Elaine as she opened the doors, standing in the doorway as she watched the men exit the van, her arms crossed over her chest.

 **Millie**

"Excuse me for a moment," said Bruce, wiping his mouth with his napkin before standing up and walking out of the dining room.

Millie, Dick and Selina Kyle were left alone around the table, an awkward silence hanging over the three of them. Millie and Dick had been wrong earlier when they thought there would be less flirting because of Bruce and Selina being childhood friends. There was no awkward touching under the table, seeing as the both of them had been keeping a steady distance from each other the entire night, which in a way was a relief. But that only meant that there was more verbal flirting, as if they were trying to make up for the fact that there was no touching.

"Miss Kyle," started Millie, clearing her throat as she swallowed the last piece of her sorbet, breaking the silence. "How'd you meet Bruce?"

"We met… Under strange circumstances," explained Selina casually, causing both Dick and Millie to raise their eyebrows. "I suppose you could say that we both worked on finding out the truth about his parents' death… and then some more."

Millie and Dick exchanged a look as Selina looked away from them. Although their original plan had been to try and find out something awkward about Bruce's childhood, their curiosity took over instead and so, they continued to ask Selina about how they became friends.

"The Commissioner, who back then had been a simple detective, thought I had seen something on the night they were killed. He was wrong though. I saw everything but nothing they didn't already know," said Selina. "Ended up with me and Bruce meeting and becoming friends."

"So, he worked on finding the killer?" asked Dick; "Why?"

Selina shrugged, watching Dick with a suspicious look on her face though still continuing to tell them; "I suppose he wanted revenge."

* * *

"I don't know why you're so upset about this," said Millie as she put on her nightgown over in her own private bathroom, located as an en-suite to her room. Her door was open so she could continue talking to Dick. "It's really no surprise that Bruce wanted revenge for the death of his parents."

"Yeah, but you don't get it," said Dick's voice. "He told me all along that revenge isn't the solution to the pain. While he himself has been driven by revenge for longer than I was."

Millie walked out of the bathroom, putting on a bathrobe over her nightgown, trying to shield herself from the chilly air in her room. She saw Dick sitting on her bed, his elbows leaning on his knees and his gaze down at the floor. With a soft sigh, she walked over to him and sat down on the bed, the mattress sinking in underneath of their weight and causing them both to glide over towards each other due to her silken sheets.

"You ever thought about the fact that he knows revenge isn't the solution because he knows what it can make you do out of his own experience? Maybe he just doesn't want you to go through the same things he went through," she said quietly.

"You don't get it," said Dick, shaking his head and placing his hands over his face.

"Then make me get it. Talk to me." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't," sighed Dick, standing up, shrugging off her hand. "It's just… complicated, alright? You wouldn't understand."

Millie frowned before nodding her head, looking away from him. He was holding something back from her. Something he didn't want her to know and it hurt her to know that he was keeping secrets from her. Of course, all people had secrets. Millie had secrets that she didn't want Dick to know about. Yet it hurt her now since the secret had come up in a conversation. At least her secrets were not so obvious.

"I get it," she said softly, causing him to look at her. "We all have secrets we don't want people to know."

Dick shook his head; "I want you to know. But I can't tell you. I swore I would keep you out of it."

"You're making it seem like you've joined Falcone's men or something." Millie chuckled awkwardly. "Just… whatever it is. Promise me it isn't a life changing secret, something that doesn't, once it appears if it ever will, change our lives forever. Promise me that."

For a long time, Dick simply looked at her and the more seconds that went by, the more her heart sank to her stomach, knowing that whatever was going to come out of his mouth, was going to be a lie if he had to wait for that long to answer.

"I promise."

 **Bruce**

"Talk to me Bruce. Why did you actually invite me over?"

The two of them were stood outside the front door, waiting for Selina's cab to arrive. Bruce had offered Alfred to drive her home, though Alfred had as usual looked a bit annoyed by this offer, his resentment towards Miss Kyle still there even though the woman had done a lot for Bruce over the years. Then again, she had also done a lot _to_ him, which Alfred never really forgave as easily as Bruce did.

"I wanted you to get to know Millie. I heard you two talking when I went away, which is good," he replied, earning a confused look from Selina.

She scoffed, stifling a laugh, "You invited me over to talk to a kid? That's it? How charming…"

"Don't tell me you didn't recognize her."

Selina quieted down, looking away from Bruce, "Look. Whatever you're up to, I want no part in it."

"Even if it's for the greater good?"

"Especially if it's for the greater good. I mean, come on, most people in Gotham already think I work for you, or rather the _other_ you."

"You _do_."

Selina gasped dramatically before tutting, pointing a finger at him, "I only do it because there's something in it for me."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, wanting to ask her what she meant, though when Selina leaned over to him and placed a slow, sensual kiss to his cheek, he understood.

"You have eyes and ears in the Gotham underworld that I don't. I want you to find out where Millie's twin sister went when she ran away from the orphanage."

"Oh, she's with Oswald," replied Selina casually. "Dent figured it out a while back, and you know he's always robbing banks. So, I tend to rob him a lot as well. A few years back I found some intel instead of cash. Wouldn't surprise me if Dent's been using it against Oswald. I know _I_ would."

She smirked at Bruce's shocked look.

"The Penguin took in a young girl?"

"Don't pretend like you don't understand why," scoffed Selina. "Anyway, that's that deed done. Now, what do I get in return?"

"This is bad, Selina-"

"Why? She's with her crew, I doubt she minds it…"

"Perhaps…"

"Relax, Bruce. I don't understand why you're worrying about this anyway. You've got Millie, why care about Elaine?"

"I care about Millie. And therefore I care about Elaine. I just want intel."

"You just got some. And I ain't got nothing back yet."

Bruce stared at her. Selina was different from others; being both a good guy and a bad guy. She did whatever she wanted, not caring if it was seen as a bad action or a good action, as long as it gave her something in return. Anything with a benefit for her, was good. Though exactly what Selina would get out of spying on Elaine for him, Bruce was unsure of.

He knew he had only a few more minutes to convince her. He needed intel on what was going on with Elaine to keep Millie away from it all. The last thing Bruce wanted was Millie to fall into the wrong footsteps. Yet a worrying feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he would not be able to protect her for much longer. He had not been able to protect Dick, so what made him think he could protect Millie? Sooner or later, she would find out about her sister's whereabouts, sooner or later she would find out about her father, and sooner or later she would pick up a suit. Whether that suit was for the bad causes or for the good causes, Bruce still did not know. All he could do was hope he had taught her enough to realize his path was for the greater good, albeit it did not always feel like it.

Selina must have noticed his brooding silence, as she suddenly sighed, "Fine. I'll find my own benefits."

He stayed silent though, only looking at her with surprised eyes.

"Just promise me one thing, Bruce. Don't lie to her."

"Is it lying if I simply don't tell her what she has not asked yet?"

The headlights of the cab were suddenly seen heading up the driveway and Selina sighed, "Just… Don't be an idiot."

With that said, Selina walked away towards her cab, leaving Bruce on his own. He stayed put there in the cold for a while longer, thinking, brooding… And when he finally reentered the house again, he was sure he had made the right choice. Perhaps Selina spying for him would turn out to be dangerous for Millie, but at least Bruce knew Selina would at least try to protect Bruce and his family… even if she sometimes did it on her own untraditional ways.


	11. 10, Hiding the Truth

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **10.**

* * *

 **Elaine (thirteen years old)**

Elaine, Pete and five of Two-Face's original crew stood before Dent. They had returned from Elaine's first heist to his secret base in the old industrial area of Gotham. The small house stood there had been abandoned for a long time, and Dent had recently taken it as his own personal base.

"Fifteen bags filled with money," chuckled Dent as he walked over to the team, his eyes landing on Elaine.

His voice was smooth and she knew that his nicer side was talking, clearly the joy from the successful mission affecting him. "I knew it wasn't a bad choice to make you tag along with me."

"I just did what I was told, sir." Her voice was monotone, the safest way of speaking with Dent.

Even though they had known each other for two years now, she was still not comfortable around Two-Face. Her loyalty was still with Penguin, the man who had taken her in when she needed a home. And although she didn't want to admit it, her loyalty was also with whoever Mark trusted and since he trusted Cobblepot, she remained loyal to the strange little man.

"You know, you remind me of your mother when you talk like that," said Dent, causing Elaine's eyes to snap up to his distorted face, her heart skipping a beat when he said this.

Had he known her mother? Had her mother been in the same business as she was now? Was she still alive?

"Sir?" she asked, trying to make him tell her more, though he only chuckled and patted her head degradingly, before walking over to Pete.

"Get the money to the safe," ordered Two-Face to the man. "Lock it up and return back here."

"Yes, sir," replied Pete, him and two other guys walking away.

Elaine was left there with the remaining men. She kept staring at Dent, wanting to know more of what he knew about her mother. And she was about to open her mouth and ask, when he suddenly snarled at her, his other side coming forth, "What are you all still standing around for!? Leave!"

And so she did, still without information about her mother… She wondered if she'd ever get it, or if he'd keep it to himself to use against her…

 **Elaine**

 **Two years later (Fifteen years old)**

With a dull expression on the teenager's face, Elaine walked over to yet another safe, busting it open easily with the new technique she had been taught before placing the money in the bag she had hanging over her shoulder. Pete ran past her, the alarm almost making his footsteps inaudible. Although they had failed to turn the alarm off, they still had some time to grab as much money as they could before the police would arrive there. At least the security cameras were turned off and their identities were safe.

With her bag now filled, she began her way back towards the doors, knowing the van was parked right outside of the bank. She looked at her watch, pushing some stray hair out of her face as she did, and noticed that she wouldn't have time to run back inside again. Just as she was about to open the front doors, the sound of a scream reached her ears over the blaring of the alarm. Her body tensed up and she looked back, seeing nobody there. She knew Pete was still inside and he was the closest thing to a friend that she still had in Dent's crew. The other men that had been taken from the Penguin had all already been arrested. The rest of Dent's crew was… strange. They didn't harbor the same class or morals as those the Penguin recruited, and she couldn't help but feel a little unsafe amongst them. Even the female thugs were… unnerving.

And so, thinking she could not lose her one friend, she made her way back, keeping close to the walls just in case they had _company_.

Elaine had been lucky her entire life and had never really met the Bat during any of her missions. Though she knew what to do if she ever did meet the Bat.

Run.

There was no way she, a fifteen years old girl, could take down the Batman. Especially not if he had his little helper with him. As she noticed the unconscious body of Pete lying a few feet away from her, her motives changed. There was nothing she could do for Pete now as she knew it would take her too long to drag his body outside to safety… the police would manage to get there in time.

With wide eyes, Elaine began to back away again, heading back to the front doors. She kept a strong grip on the bag filled with money around her shoulder, her eyes darting up and down all around her, knowing he could be being watched…

She was almost there, almost free, almost safe…But then she heard the sound of something fluttering behind her, she stopped and turned around. Out of shock, she dropped the moneybag and fell backwards, hitting both her wrists on the hard marble floor when she tried to catch her fall. A gasp escaped her as she landed, the air leaving her lungs. Though she didn't care, her veins filling with pure terror as she saw the Batman standing there, hovering over her and looking down at her with what seemed to be white holes used for eyes.

Being raised by villains had caused her to hear many scare bedtime stories about the big, mean Bat. All she wanted was to get away.

Starting to scramble away, rather pathetically, she managed to get up on her feet again and run away, bursting through the doors and into the van, yelling at the people left of her team to drive away. Finally catching her breath again, she looked back at the bank, seeing police cars stopping outside of the bank, not having noticed the van driving away.

That had been her first meeting with the Batman and she had gotten away. It was odd, considering how close he had been to her. Surely he could've taken her down, gotten her arrested and what not. Why had he let her go?

 **Bruce**

His heart skipped a beat as he landed behind the young girl. Seeing her face as she turned around to look at him was even more strange. She looked _exactly_ like Millie. All that was different was the shorter hair, and the obviously more muscular body. Bruce could easily see that Elaine had been trained to her fullest extent, probably to become something of a specially strong thug or henchwoman.

He knew it was dangerous to let her stay with criminals. He could already see they were using the teenager, which they had probably been doing since the moment she had been found wandering the streets on her own. It was dangerous, because these criminals knew what could, potentially, defeat the Bat, and if they trained her to fully work against the Batman, she might become something of a problem in the future.

However, Bruce could not grab her. It had been those frightened, blue eyes that looked up at him that had made him freeze and let her run off. Those eyes that looked just like his mother's, those eyes that had made him never stop thinking about Millie when he had first met her all those years ago…

The last time he had heard about Elaine it had been from Catwoman. Selina had told him Elaine worked for Cobblepot… Now, here she was, robbing a bank with _Dent_ 's crew. Since the moment he had taken Millie in, he had been searching for Elaine though had never found a trace of her. Then he got the some more intel from Catwoman, which would have helped him normally. Yet, he had not been able to find Elaine on Cobblepot's territory either two years ago. Now, he knew why. The only thing he didn't understand was the reason behind why Two-Face had taken her in. Did he want to make her the perfect thug, his new right hand the moment she grew up? If so, why did Cobblepot let her go when he could have made her his very own?

Robin had been away taking care of the rest of the crew inside of the bank, and so he hadn't seen Elaine, Millie's twin sister, and he had not seen Bruce let her leave either. Dick was already keeping enough secrets from Millie and Bruce did not want to add anymore. Bruce felt relieved about that.

Although Elaine was now halfway back to their hideout, Bruce had not entirely let her go. He was a fast thinker after all. Perhaps he couldn't take her down, but he could use her to get the coordinates of Two-Face's current hide-out. He had quickly placed a tracer on her back as she ran away from him, throwing it at her and making it stick to the back of her shirt. She didn't notice it since it was tiny and because she was panicking. Most certainly, the thugs she worked with had told her all about the dangerous Batman and what he could do to her. Briefly – although it was childish of him – he wondered if they told her about him during scary bed time stories. Though he quickly realized that the thugs had probably never read her bedtime stories, a thought that sort of made him feel sad.

When Robin walked over to him, the sirens of police cars appearing outside, Batman glanced over at Dick.

"Did you get them?" asked Bruce with his voice a few pitches lower than normal.

"Yes, they're all tied up and ready for prison out in the back," said Robin with a nod of his head. "They'll be on their way to Blackgate or Arkham soon."

"Good," said Bruce before the police entered, Gordon in tow.

"Batman!" he exclaimed, seeming relieved to know that the robbery had been taken care of. "Who?" he asked, the rest of the police immediately going to arrest the thugs that had been taken down by Robin.

"Two-Face's crew. I'm tracking them now. I'll be able to find their whereabouts easily," said Batman.

"Good. Let me know how things work out."

With a nod, Batman and Robin brushed past Gordon and out of the bank, the chilly air hitting the skin on their faces that wasn't covered by their cowls. Police officers that ran past them looked at them oddly, not every police officer having seen them yet or being on Gordon's side when it came to whether or not the two vigilantes should be allowed to do what they did. Yet, neither of them cared.

"How'd you manage to track them?" asked Robin, earning a glance from Batman.

Batman stayed quiet, instead lifting up his arm and pushing the button that called Alfred.

 _"Yes, master Bruce?"_

"I've placed a tracker on a thug. I need the location of it," said Batman quickly.

 _"From what I can tell, the tracker's on its way to Midtown."_

"Send me the coordinates once they've stopped," said Batman before ending the call, turning to Robin.

Surely, he could keep quiet about what he just saw; who he saw. But he knew that Richard was going to find out the moment they reached their hideout. He hoped Dick would not have to see Elaine, and that Bruce could skip that awkward discussion… that way, Dick might not ask him even more questions that would mean he'd have to tell Dick even more truths he didn't want to tell either Dick or Millie.

Hopefully Elaine would get away.

 **Elaine**

With a disappointed look on her face, she entered the hideout of Two-Face. They had barely managed to get any money out of the bank and most of the men were now probably on their way to the GCPD. They had failed the mission. Everything had begun to go wrong when she failed to turn the alarm off. New systems meant new codes to crack and sometimes that just went wrong. Though, they could have handled the police. The Batman, however, was another story. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't completely her fault; that she hadn't been able to foresee the Bat arriving.

Then again, Two-Face's crew had been hitting banks a lot for the past month. They were bound to attract attention eventually. In Gotham, that attention meant the Batman. Perhaps she would have been able to foresee it after all…

The moment she saw Dent appear in the room, her entire body tensed up. The men were standing behind her and she was going to have to take the hit. That's what a leader did after all; that's what Mark would have done.

"What happened?" asked Harvey, his voice smooth and his eyes flickering over each thug that had managed to get back, before resting on the small number of bags that were filled with money.

"The Batman appeared, sir," explained Elaine with an as monotone tone as possible in order to not provoke her current boss.

"The bat!?" Two-Face nearly spat at her as he said this, rushing up to her and leaning down to her level, his one good eye squinting down at her. "And that stopped you because?"

"Sir, it's the _Bat_. We couldn't possibly take him on-"

"But you should've tried!" he screamed down at her, making her flinch and her eyes widen.

"We did, but sir. Robin was with him and we t-tried, really, we did-"

The slap echoed through the room and as Elaine hit the floor, the pain from his palm connecting with her cheek hit her like a flame exploding against her flesh. A soft moan of pain escaped her lips before she managed to prevent it from escaping and she placed her cold hand against her cheek.

"Don't you dare! That stupid bird shouldn't have stopped you from _trying_! Either you kill the Bat, or you don't come back at all!" roared Two-Face down at Elaine.

Her heart was beating quickly and she tried her best to avoid looking at him, tears threatening to spill over which would only show as weakness in the eyes of her current boss.

 _Don't cry._

Slowly, he bent down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, nearly making her flinch again. She wondered if this would've happened if she had still been a part of Penguin's crew, though she was pretty sure it would've.

"Look at me, child," said Harvey Dent, his voice once again smooth and less harsh than earlier. As Elaine complied to his demand, he forced her hand away from her cheek and grabbed her chin with his cold and rough fingers, lifting her face into the light so that he could inspect the damage he had inflicted on her. "I know you did all you could. But we needed that money."

Elaine slowly nodded her head, forcing back the tears so that her vision was clear. She could see no remorse on his face and although she wasn't surprised by this, it warned her that she probably had underestimated how cold the man she worked for was. Yes, she enjoyed hurting people too, but she had never been hurt by one of her co-workers without the other person showing remorse for what he or she had done. And she herself had never hurt another co-worker in that way. Yet, even if it hurt and even if she knew it was wrong, it also felt thrilling to be hurt in such ways by those who ruled over her. This feeling was most certainly the reason for why she stayed with criminals to begin with.

When a cry echoed through the room from someone out in the hallway, Dent let go of Elaine and stood up straight, grabbing a gun and clenching it in his hands.

"Did you check if he followed you?" asked Dent quietly, looking down at Elaine.

Her shocked and horrified expression was enough of an answer for Two-Face and he growled under his breath.

"Great… Boys! The Bat's here!" he exclaimed, the men standing behind Elaine turning towards the door, all aiming their guns at it, prepared to fire at the Bat.

With ungraceful movements, Elaine scrambled away from the scene and placed herself behind a desk, pulling out her knife. She had some training with guns, however she wasn't good enough to own a gun of her own yet.

When the door burst open, revealing the hallway filled with smoke, Harvey and his men started to fire into the smoke aimlessly. Elaine held her hands over her ears, frowning at the loud sound and hoping that it truly was enough to stop the Bat. It wasn't until the smoke started to clear that the men along with Harvey ran out of bullets. The room filled with a dead silence that nearly hurt Elaine's ears more than the shooting had done.

Carefully she peeked over the desk, watching as the smoke slowly disappeared and revealed an almost empty hallway. Only Dent's men lying on the ground, unconscious or dead, could be seen. They hadn't been touched by the bullets since there wasn't any blood. Though the Bat didn't kill, and in that smoke, he could have easily taken them all out.

None of them cared enough about the men to go and take a closer look. Had they done this, they would have seen the way the smoke had affected the thugs; how their lips had been dragged up into creepy, ominous smiles, and they would have realized much quicker that the Batman was not behind this at all…

Suddenly, the sound of someone whistling a happy – though creepy – tune echoed through the hallway. Rounding a corner, was a man and a woman along with several thugs behind them. The thugs all held guns in their hands, though none of them were aiming at Dent's men. Instead, they were walking behind their bosses with a nonchalant strut. They wore clown masks and shaggy clothes, revealing to Elaine – even though she had already seen the bosses – exactly who they were working for. Even without much knowledge about the criminals in Gotham, one would know who these thugs worked for…

Those were the thugs working for _the Joker._ And walking before them, grinning widely were, indeed, the Joker and Harley Quinn.


	12. 11, Harley and Joker

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **11.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

The Joker and Harley Quinn entered the room, standing in front of Dent's men casually. This had all been planned. Most certainly they knew that Harvey's first thought would be that the Bat had found them. Since smoke was the Bat's signature gadget to use, they had used just that to fool Dent and his men to shoot their guns until they were out of bullets. With a growl, Two-Face narrowed his eyes at the clown, letting go of the empty machine gun he had been holding and taking out a pistol from his back-pocket, aiming it at the clown.

Though it did not frighten the clown. Instead, he started to laugh at the action, seeming to enjoy being aimed at with a gun. Harley, on the other hand, simply narrowed her eyes into a glare, continuing to nonchalantly chew away on her bubble gum, one hand on her hip and one hand holding her signature bat, resting it against her shoulder.

"Come now, Harv," said the Joker, his voice going from a high pitched shrilling sound down to a low, menacing one. "I'm only here to negotiate. Besides!" his voice was high pitched again, a smile on his lips as always and his hands flaying about as he talked; "My men are not out of bullets!"

"Neither am I," said Two-Face, now also smirking.

He let out another dry laugh though quietened down as Harvey sent a bullet his way, hitting the wall behind the clown. The Joker glanced between the hole in the wall and Dent before smirking. Without even gesturing towards his men, they all entered the room and aimed their guns at Dent and his crew. Two-Face's thugs all flinched back, raising their hands in the air while Dent continued to aim at the Joker. Elaine simply stayed behind the desk, her eyes wide.

She couldn't help but stare at the two clowns. He was the most notorious villain in Gotham and for some odd reason, Elaine looked up to him. Or rather, she looked up to Harley. She had him and was part of his crew; she got to be with the Joker and the thought of getting to _be_ with him, his roughness and his anger, made a fire stir inside of her. Though she was also scared of him. If one thinks Two-Face has psychological problems, then one has not met the Joker. He truly is _mad_.

"Wait, who am I talking to now? Because I have two tactics here depending on which one of you is in control," said the Joker, quite seriously which caused Elaine to raise an eyebrow.

Harvey only narrowed his eyes as an answer, causing the Joker to chuckle.

"You see, a little bird told me that you were out there robbing banks and collecting all this money and, I couldn't help but notice what tactics you used," said the Joker as he started to walk up towards Two-Face, the pistol clearly not bothering him. "You see, those vents in the bank over in Brixton are small… narrow… Not even Harley could get through those! So, my question for you is, how did you do it?"

"Let me tell you how," said Two-Face; "With the help of your mum."

The Joker's smile fell as he stopped walking towards Dent, the gun only a foot away from him now. He nodded his head, a smile suddenly appearing on Harley's face, causing Elaine to widen her eyes as she anticipated what was going to happen next.

"Alright… You don't want to talk. Fine," said the Joker seriously before suddenly, at the same time as his thugs all shot one bullet each into Two-Face thugs' heads, grabbing Dent's pistol and kicking Two-Face in the stomach. It all went so fast that Elaine barely had time to realize what the Joker had done. He truly was good at what he did.

One thug was left and Harley quickly used her bat to kill him off, squealing in delight as she did. Nobody seemed to have noticed Elaine yet, which she was grateful for. Then again, maybe they didn't shoot her on purpose…

"I'm not going to ask nicely again," pressed the Joker, the pistol now aimed at Two-Face's head. "How did you get into that bank?"

"I used someone small, what else!?" exclaimed Two-Face, Elaine's eyes widening as she realized that she was that small person. What did the Joker want with _her_?

"Who? I want a name," said the Joker. "A NAME!"

Elaine jumped from the sudden outburst, taking cover behind the desk and pressing her back against it, praying that nobody would notice her there. She had no intentions of suddenly having to work with the Joker. If anything, she'd rather work for Two-Face than him. She had heard stories of what he did when his crew failed him. Horrible stories. At least the only thing Two-Face did was slap her.

"Elaine," said Two-Face suddenly.

At the mention of her name, Elaine's heart began beating almost out of her chest, beads of sweat pouring down her forehead. She had never been this nervous in her life though she knew that she had to stand up for herself, that she had to be tough in order to even survive out there in the cold world called Gotham. So, she took a deep breath and stood up, the sounds of guns being pointed at her and safeties being turned off making her regret her decision.

The Joker stared at her with a look of disbelief for a moment, as did Harley and the other thugs. She didn't quite understand why but she wouldn't be surprised if it was because of her sister, the Wayne-traitor.

"Elaine… Lovely name!" grinned the Joker, his smile returning to his face, the gun still pointed at Two-Face. "Harley, bring her to me."

With a delighted smile on her face, Harley skipped over to Elaine, placing the bat against the wall and searching the young girl for any weapons. She removed the knife from Elaine's pockets as well as her favorite lip balm, which Elaine didn't understand why it would threaten the Joker. With a rough hand, Harley grabbed her left arm and started to force her to walk over to the Joker. She tried to shake Harley's hand off, though that only resulted in her grip tightening, hurting her even more.

For a brief moment, right before Elaine reached the Joker, she thought about what a shit day she was having. However, when the Joker used the butt of the pistol to render Two-Face unconscious, Elaine realized her day wasn't as bad as his. He had literally just lost the majority of his crew along with his money that he had worked so long for to get. After all, the Joker was most certainly not leaving without at least grabbing the money. It could come to use for him, even if he did not care about money himself.

"Tell me about yourself, El," said the Joker as Harley forced her to a stop, holding her in front of the Joker. "Can I call you El? Of course I can. I will anyway, so."

He chuckled at his own words, still staring at her. Without thinking about the consequences, she spit at his face, causing the chuckle to die down. The Joker's eyes told her that she had made a terrible move. Harley flinched back, dragging Elaine back with her via two rough hands on Elaine's shoulders. With a gasp, Harley slapped the back of Elaine's head, earning a grunt from Elaine in response.

"No, it's okay, Harley," said the Joker, wiping some of the spit away with his purple sleeve. "That was oddly… pleasant."

Elaine scrunched up her face at the man before her.

"What do you want from me?" asked Elaine.

The Joker gave her a toothy grin before he turned towards his crew; "Men, get the cash into the van. We're leaving soon."

"Yes, boss."

Turning back to Elaine, he leaned down so that their faces were only inches apart. Oddly enough, the Joker smelled nice. He looked saggy, his clothes needing a wash and the paint on his face needing some refreshment, but he smelled good. Like something sweet mixed in with the distant smell of whisky. His breath, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Not only was there alcohol mixed in there, but Elaine was sure that he needed to invest some of that money he was taking from Two-Face in order to buy himself a toothbrush.

"I've heard your name being whispered out on the streets. I know you're important to someone… Judging by the way you're looking at me, I guess you don't know that yet. But it's evident, it's obvious. Those eyes… Besides, your size is useful to not only sleeping beauty over here," he explained, gesturing towards Dent; "but also to me."

Once again, Elaine scrunched up her face. Both because of the fact that once again, a criminal out there in Gotham knew something about her she did not, and because she was never going to agree to working with him. The Penguin hated him. And so did she. Then again, she could have some fun with this…

"Fine." Shrugging off Harley's hands from her, she watched with an annoyed look on her face as the Joker started to gleefully laugh again. "But only because I want to know why everyone seems to be after me."

"Good, we seem to have a deal. You help me and I tell you secrets," said the Joker, taking a pause in his laughing as he looked over at Harley. "Ready to go, pumpkin?"

"Of course, mistah J," replied Harley in a high pitched voice, making Elaine frown.

As the Joker walked towards the doorway, Harley walked over to grab her bat, Elaine saw her opportunity. There was a window to her left. An open window since the house was an abandoned one and the glass of the windows were almost all not present anymore. The only problem was the fact that there was a 50 feet drop down to the dirty river filled with chemicals and what not from the industrial area in Gotham. For a moment she pondered on whether or not she would make it and whether or not she would want to land in that goo to begin with. Maybe sticking with the Joker for a while was a better option than landing in that dirt.

Though as the Joker turned to her, smirking at her with that creepy smile of his, she made up her mind. If she was going to get back to the Penguin; to Mark and to her home, she was going to have to do it.

Without hesitating, she bolted towards the window, the Joker and Harley immediately reacting.

She jumped up onto the window sill, though as she was about to jump, the Joker grabbed her jacket, almost thrusting her back inside. Luckily, Elaine reacted quickly and she slipped out of her jacket before falling face forwards from the window and into the water down below. She took the hit hard, nearly gasping as the air left her lungs and all feeling in her face disappeared. She had landed with her face and chest first, which hadn't been a part of the plan, and the only feeling she now had in her close to numb body, was a striking pain in her left eye. Luckily, the goo in the water made it possible for her to float almost automatically (a warning sign for many people) and so, she turned around in the water and coughed up whatever water had entered her lungs before she let the river take her away from the Joker and Harley Quinn.

Meanwhile, the Joker had landed on Harley. When he had been pulling on Elaine's jacket and she had slipped out of it, he had fallen backwards; Harley coming in the way of him and the floor. He screamed out in frustration, throwing the jacket to the side and standing back up, hitting his fist against the wall in a moment of fury. A dent appeared in the rotten wood the wall was made of, calming him down only slightly.

Harley watched him with careful eyes while she slowly stood up, not moving too quickly as she was afraid it might set him off. She flinched when he looked back at her, though felt confused at the smirk on his face.

"That girl is truly something else." Then his smirk disappeared. "I need her on my team."

"Mistah J!" exclaimed Harley in a gasp suddenly, causing him to glare over at her.

She was pointing at something to her left. There, the Joker saw the jacket he had pulled off of Elaine lying on the floor. For a moment he was completely clueless as to why Harley was so shocked about the jacket. It was summer out, the girl wouldn't be cold…

And then he saw it. A small, blinking device no bigger than the tip of the Joker's finger.

And it was shaped like the batsignal.

"Ooo, we're about to have company," he chuckled. "But I'm not in the mood. Harley, get Dent tied up. We gotta go."

 **Bruce**

Skillfully, he and Robin got into the house through one of the broken windows. Going through the front doors seemed too risky since Two-Face could still be in the house. Making sure that Robin was behind him, he started to search the old abandoned house, listening intently for any sign of movement or voices. Though he heard none even though the signal was coming from that very house.

It was one of the few actual houses left in the industrial district and its structure looked just as saggy as it probably was, if not even worse. It was a good hiding spot since no one wanted to touch the house, afraid it might break or set off a demonstration from those gothamites that thought that keeping the old houses in the industrial district might keep the sweet charm it used to have.

It didn't.

As they reached a hallway, Bruce halted abruptly, nearly making Dick walk into him. There, in the hallway, multiple bodies lay, all dead. He crouched down next to one of them and scanned them, Robin crouching down next to him, inspecting the body as well.

"Two-Face's crew," concluded Robin from the clothes he wore.

"Joker," concluded Batman from the way the dead body's lips were pulled back in a grin.

"I thought you said this was Two-Face crew's place?" asked Robin, earning a look from Batman.

"I did."

"Woah! The Joker attacked?"

Standing up again and not answering Robin's question, Batman continued to walk towards the doorway which most of the thugs seemed to have been facing before they had died. As he reached the room, the two vigilantes found even more dead thugs, pools of blood on the floor around their heads. They all belonged to Two-Face as well.

"What happened here?" asked Robin, his eyes widening at the one thug in the room whose head had been bashed in.

Batman didn't notice this thug though as his eyes were on the man further away from them. There, sitting on a chair, was Two-Face himself. His hands were tied to the chair as well as his feet, even though he was unconscious and couldn't run away. On his chest, a card was attached to his jacket and the two of them quickly walked up to Dent to inspect the card further. It was a joker with some words scribbled on it:

 _To Batman and Robin.  
XOXO, uncle J_

"This is bigger than we thought," announced Batman.

"And more confusing," added Robin before sighing; "I thought you said this was just about the bank robberies? Why would Joker be interested in bank robberies that Two-Face is behind?"

"I thought it was… But I think we're missing something… Something important."

Two-Face slowly awoke, Robin immediately moving away to call Gordon to tell him that they had Two-Face ready to be transported to Arkham Asylum.

"No…" he said as his eyes took in the scene before him. He shook his head, closing his eyes as he did; "Not after all I did… All the work…"

"What happened, Dent?" asked Batman, staying put where he stood, Robin still out of ear-shot.

"The Joker… He came. I don't know how he knew we were here but he wanted…" Harvey suddenly looked up, his eyes frantically searching his dead crew for something. When he didn't find what he sought, he let out a relieved sigh.

"Wanted what?" asked Batman, furrowing his brow.

"None of your business," said Two-Face, grinning at him. "Not gonna take me in?"

"We're waiting on a transport," said Batman, an amused tone to his voice.

"Well, I ain't telling you anything," said Two-Face, an angered look on his face as he looked away from them.

"I'm not assuming you are going to either," said Batman. "I already know you had Elaine on your team."

Harvey's gaze snapped up to Batman's, revealing that he had touched a nerve.

"How?"

"I met her, at the bank."

"Ah, yes, she mentioned something about that," said Two-Face, snickering before the smirk fell from his face; a softer tone coming into his voice; "Is she safe?"

"I don't know," replied Batman honestly, not having seen her anywhere in the house.

"I took her. Wanted to use her. Maybe it was foolish of me," said Harvey before frowning. "Who cares anyway. I can find someone else the moment I'm free again."

"You're not getting out this time," said Batman, earning a smirk from Dent while Robin joined them again, having missed their entire conversation.

"You said that the last time too."


	13. 12, Martha Wayne

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **12.**

* * *

 **Millie**

 _"Harvey Dent aka Two-Face back to the asylum."_

She furrowed her brow slightly, a habit that she had whenever she was concentrating on something. Millie had awoken early and found not even Alfred awake yet. Though even if everyone had not been sleeping, it was just as silent as always in the manor. That was what happened when you lived in a big house, footsteps and people talking was not something you heard often unless you were in the same room as the person. In a way, Millie enjoyed it, knowing she had quite a bit of privacy that way. She could even sing in the shower without anyone else hearing it. But sometimes, it was also very lonely…

Millie found herself sitting in the living room alone at seven in the morning, reading the newspaper which she had found over by the front door. During the night, Batman and Robin had caught Two-Face and there were two articles filled with information about the catch. Apparently, someone in his crew had ratted him out and helped the Batman in finding him. Though Jack Ryder was a reporter known to write stories that had a little bit more than the truth to it and so, Millie was sure there was a different side to it as well.

With a sigh, she folded the paper again before placing it back on the coffee table. She leaned back on the couch, relaxing slightly while she waited for Alfred to come downstairs to make her breakfast. Of course, she could make her own breakfast. Though the last time she had done that, Alfred had caught her and he hadn't seemed all too happy about her making her own breakfast. Perhaps he thought that she'd mess up the tidy organization that was in the kitchen or perhaps he didn't like people doing his job for him, either way, she wasn't going to annoy him again.

She found her eyes wandering up to the painting that was hanging above the fireplace, the early sunbeams shining through the curtains illuminating the painting. It was of Bruce's parents, the both of them standing next to each other with soft yet serious smiles on their faces. Martha Wayne was wearing a pearl necklace, much like the one Millie now owned, while Thomas Wayne wore a fancy suit, his hair done almost the same as Bruce's. A sudden thought hit her as she watched the painting.

 _Who were_ her _parents?_

It was a question she often thought about. She knew she and her sister had been abandoned at the orphanage at a very young age, though she had never really found out who her actual parents were. Perhaps, one day, she'd find out the truth. Or in other words, perhaps one day she'd have the courage to ask Bruce without fearing that she might remind him of the fact that she still had a twin sister somewhere out there. Although she barely remembered what she was like, she remembered the fact that she was _creepy_. Creepy and mean.

Elaine was often on her mind; her being a memory ridden with guilt and anger. Guilt, because she had left Elaine out there, all alone, even though she knew, deep down inside, that she hadn't been able to do anything about it and that she actually did not want to find her sister. And anger because the sadness she felt about her lost twin sister had over the years turned into anger. She felt conflicted about Elaine, knowing her duty as her sister was to find her and help her, wherever she was. Though at the same time, Elaine could be having the time of her life, living just as well as Millie was. She didn't know what to do about Elaine and the mixed feelings mixed with confusion only made tears stream down her cheeks.

Softly, Millie cried. She did this often, guilt being a painful feeling and anger making her frustrated. Though normally, she would be up in her room and not as exposed to being found out as she was right then and there.

 **Elaine**

With slow movements, she dragged herself out of the river, the slimy water running off of her and making her shiver even more as the air hit her body. She had been floating around in the river for hours and not until the sunrise could be seen on the sky had Elaine started to try and get out. Now that she was, she collapsed onto the cement ground, trying to get her breath back to a slow and steady rhythm.

She had not seen the Joker and his crew chasing after her and so, she assumed she had gotten away from them, which she felt relieved about. Now, the only problem she was faced with was the fact that she needed to find her way back to the Iceberg Lounge or any other place that belonged to the Penguin. She knew she would be safe there, as safe as she could be anyway.

Her arms shook as she tried to heave herself up into a sitting position, her world spinning around her as she did. She hadn't eaten anything for hours and her mouth felt dry from the thirst she was experiencing. Her entire body felt weak and she was sure that the one time that she had accidentally swallowed some of the polluted water, she had gotten some kind of dirt into her stomach as it hurt as if someone had punched her but had left the fist there to torture her.

Calming herself down, she tried to stand up, though failed horribly and only ended up back on her bum, retching up whatever food she had still got in her stomach. Luckily, the pain in her stomach did disappear after she had thrown up, though she felt alarmed about the fact that she could see some blood in the goo she had thrown up. It meant that the fall into the river had not only hurt her left eye badly, but also other parts of her body.

Trying once more, she managed to get up on her feet, her legs shaking from the strain. It would take her some time to get to safety and she was sure that people were going to stare, knowing that she looked like hell. She supposed that the water had made her dirty enough to make her look like she had never washed herself her entire life. Not to mention that she smelled of rotten fish. Though still, she moved on. Her legs barely carried her but she was determined to make it back. This determination was the only thing that forced her legs to work.

 **Millie**

"Miss Millie?" asked Alfred's voice as he suddenly appeared in the living room, half an hour after she had broken down.

She looked over at him, feeling numb. She knew she'd feel like that the rest of the day and she hated it. Breaking down like that was something she knew she only could do during the evenings before going to bed. Otherwise, she was going to be unhappy the rest of the day. It was Sunday as well and she wanted to be happy during her last day of freedom before having to go to school.

Forcing a smile on her lips, she looked over at the butler. "Hey, Alfred."

"Good morning. You are up early today, I see?" said Alfred.

"I couldn't sleep anymore," said Millie, standing up; "Would you mind making me some breakfast?"

"Of course," he said, eyeing her with suspicious eyes, most certainly seeing the tired look on her face and her bloodshot eyes from all the crying. "I must ask, Miss Millie…" He glanced over at the painting she had been staring at. "Has this got anything to do with… them?"

Millie narrowed her eyes, watching Alfred with suspicion, "Them? As in Bruce's parents?"

"Oh, never mind. It hadn't crossed – I will leave you be then. Breakfast in ten."

He walked away, leaving her alone again and with even more questions and things to worry about then she had already had. What had he meant by that?

She looked at the painting of the Waynes, staring at it with intense eyes. Though she could not see it. She could not see what Alfred had possibly meant…

Some day she would get the answers though. She was sure of that at least. Some day, some beautiful day, she hoped, she would have all the answers about her past, about her family and about herself. She just hoped those answers weren't the exact opposite of what she hoped they were. She just hoped her family was simply weird or dead.

Yes, weird. For how could one's parents be evil? How could two people decide to have children and then leave the children all alone at an orphanage, never to see them again? How could…. How could they?

Tears started to fall again.

* * *

 **Short update but more to come this week :)**


	14. 13, Oranges and Lemons

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **13.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

"Why don't you take a fucking picture, it'll last longer!" she snapped at yet another suit-clad individual that stared at her with large, wide eyes as she passed him by in the alleys of Gotham.

He quickly looked away, his head bowed and his pace quickening as though she was going to snap and rob her. The thought did cross her mind, seeing as she had no belongings on her and no money at the moment… Though she kept her cool.

She knew she looked horrible and that that was the reason for why people stared, but it was annoying her immensely to constantly have judging eyes on her.

And she was so exhausted already. The judging people were, however, not the reason for that. She was sure it was either the chemicals in the river, or some inner wounds from the 50 feet fall she had not yet discovered that was making her so immensely _tired_. Even her snapping at that man had made her entire world spin, and her legs nearly buckled underneath of her. Her entire body ached from the exhaustion and she wished she could simply lay down and sleep.

Luckily, it was late-summer out and so, she wasn't cold anymore. Though the pollution in the air above Gotham made it hotter than it was supposed to be, and so she was sweating immensely, only making her even more thirsty and even more tired.

Suddenly, the sight of the neon-sign formed as an umbrella came into view. She was so close now, almost there. All that was in the way for her now was a busy street. It was early morning, and people were heading across Gotham to their work places, and cars were passing her by in tremendous speeds. Quickly, she begun to cross the street, ignoring the cars that had to stop for her, honking loudly at her. Her eyes were locked on the building in front of her and all she did was wave her hands towards the angry drivers nonchalantly as she continued to shuffle towards the sign.

She was so close and, although she had almost forgotten what it felt like, happiness filled her as she realized that she was almost _home_ again. Though something happened.

A pair of hands grabbed her arm, hindering her from walking on once her feet had hit the side-walk.

"Young girl, are you alright?" asked a voice.

Elaine turned her head to look at the man talking to her and saw he was just another rich guy with a suit and coat on. How he could wear a coat in that tremendous heat astonished Elaine, though she didn't linger on his coat. She lingered on the fact that he was keeping her from getting home. And she was so, so weak…

"Let me go," she sluggishly said, the energy she had recently gained from suddenly being so close to home slowly draining which only caused her to panic. If she couldn't reach the front-door, no one would find her.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" called the man suddenly, several other people stopping too now.

Elaine started to struggle against his grip. She realized she looked like hell, but she didn't need a _hospital_. She needed her _crew_. Her family. If she ended up in a hospital, they'd recognize her and see her face. That way, she'd either be thought to be part of the Wayne family, which would be her worst nightmare, or they'd realize she was a criminal and possibly lock her up.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed louder this time, the man's grasp loosening which only caused her to tumble down to the ground as her legs finally gave way underneath of her. "No…"

A groan left her lips and she wanted to crawl away from the man, though found that she had no more strength to do anything.

"Wait!" said another man's voice.

Footsteps appeared in her blurred line of vision now and she saw that something crouched down in front of her.

"Nobody touches her… she's _mine_."

 **Millie**

"God… it's hot outside," complained Millie as she followed Alfred to the car, Dick trailing behind her, checking his bag in case he'd forgotten anything.

She took off the thin jacket she had put on, wondering why she even had put it on to begin with, and threw it over her shoulder. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked up at the blue sky. No clouds were visible there and it truly was a beautiful sight. Though she could not stay at home to enjoy the beautiful day…

"We could've gone to the pool," sighed Millie, looking back at Dick with a pout.

He only hummed in reply, still checking his bag that was already filled with books he knew he'd need. Millie hadn't brought all of them as Dick had, knowing she'd only end up doing absolutely nothing during the day anyway. The first day of school was always filled with introductions on each class and no real lessons. All she had brought was some paper and a pencil so she could take notes on important things the teachers told them.

"Oh, come on! At least act as though you're sad about summer being over," groaned Millie.

"Summer's not over. Only the holiday," replied Dick, finally looking over at her with a wide smirk on his face, one she wiped off of his face by glaring at him. "Of course I'm not happy about it. But at least we get to go out!"

Millie shrugged. He was right, the two of them had been holed up at the manor the entire summer. Millie had been mostly because she had still no other friends but Dick. And Dick because Bruce had denied him to go to the city on his own. They were still young, yes, but they had grown up quite a bit and could handle themselves. Bruce didn't seem to understand that part yet.

"You realize that's all your fault, right?" asked Dick as he and Millie entered the car, Alfred immediately driving off.

"What? Why?" she asked, frowning at his statement.

"Because you're his little girl. He doesn't want you to get hurt," replied Dick.

"Oh, so you're allowed to go outside on your own but not me?" asked Millie, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, right."

"You'd be surprised at the things he lets me do," retorted Dick, smirking.

"What things?" asked Millie, genuine curiosity filling her now.

"I think what Master Dick is trying to say, is that daughters will always be their father's little girls no matter how old they get, while sons get more trust at a younger age," said Alfred, peeking through the rear-view mirror back at Dick with a harsh look in his eyes.

"Yeah," replied Dick simply, quickly looking away from Alfred before adding, "And I'm not even his son."

A strange silence filled the car then, nearly causing Millie to believe the two of them were keeping a huge secret from her which she almost had gotten exposed to. Though that was silly. They were family. Best friends…

"Well, I'll prove to Bruce I'm not a little girl," she said simply, causing Dick to look over at her again.

"How?" he asked with an amused smile on his face.

"I'll… start with self-defense classes," she stated.

Dick laughed. "Those classes aren't going to help you if you're out there on the streets."

"As if you know anything about that," she scoffed.

Dick laughed at her and Millie forced a small giggle as well, though she couldn't help but think of his words as strange. What Millie had meant was that she wanted to go out during the evenings. Though Dick seemed to mean something entirely different. Exactly what that was, Millie didn't know.

 **Elaine  
2 days later**

A soft tune was playing.

 _Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St. Clements._

The tune had been the one thing to awaken her from her unconscious state. The song calmed her down a bit from the initial shock of waking up somewhere unknown, but at the same time it was alarming that that particular song was being played.

The dirty ceiling above her proved to her that she was in no hospital. It was dark in the room she was in, the walls were naked and made out of grey bricks. Other than the cot she was resting on, there was nothing else in the room but the cd-player standing on the floor at the opposite side of the room.

"Hello?" grunted Elaine, managing to clear her throat enough to speak.

Her body still ached, though she had recovered significantly. When she sat up, her world wasn't spinning anymore and her head felt clear. Though her ribs hurt as well as her right shoulder. Most likely, that pain was the aftermath of the fall. Removing the needle from her hand, she looked up at the IV, seeing a bag filled with see-through fluids hanging from it. Someone had truly helped her: Someone who knew medical-care.

Footsteps were heard coming from the other side of the door close to the cd-player, and she tensed up. She had nothing to defend herself with and no escape. In other words, if the person coming for her was an enemy of her boss, she was screwed. Then again, would an enemy nurture her back to health?

Yes. They would. Especially if they could somehow use her against her boss. Because apparently, that was something that could happen, even if Elaine did not understand why her boss was so fond of her.

The door opened.

"Oh," said the man as he entered the room. "You're up! Good."

Elaine gawked slightly, recognizing him immediately. Although she had never met him, she had seen his face in the papers before and her boss had told her about him many times. They were sort of rivals, though something told Elaine it was a little more complicated than that in the way the Penguin reacted to his name.

Besides, the green tux, the tie with the large, purple question mark on… one needed to be stupid to not recognize him as Edward Nygma.

"You…" breathed Elaine.

"Yes? Oh, you've heard of me then," he replied eagerly while he turned off the cd-player by pressing his heel on the off-button. "I've heard of you too… A lot." At the end, his eagerness seemed to fade into a sort of sadness. Though it disappeared as soon as Elaine had seen it when a grin replaced his sad look. "I found you on the streets. Would've been given to the cops if I hadn't come and saved you."

"You didn't _save_ me," snapped Elaine. "You took me away from my home."

The grin on his face faded and he shook his head, walking closer to Elaine. "Oh, Elaine… If only you knew the truth."

"What truth?" she asked quickly, frowning at him.

"Then again, if no one's told you yet, who am I to do so?" he asked before letting out a dry chuckle. "You'll find out soon enough anyway. He can't keep it from you forever."

"He?"

" _He_ will pick you up soon. I sent him a message… That way, the two of us are even," said Nygma.

"Penguin?" asked Elaine, frowning again.

"I owed him since he took me with him the last time he escaped. Now, we're even," said Nygma before placing his hands on his hips. "What's warm and kind, yet hard and painful?"

Elaine felt confused. There was something big she did not know about, and that her boss had been keeping from her since the beginning? She didn't understand what that could be. All she was, was an orphan who had accidentally found her way to his crew… right?

She shook her head at the Riddler's riddle, not knowing the answer and not really bothering to think about it either since her head swiveled with other questions…

" _Love_."

 **Millie**

Millie's locker closed with a bang, causing her to gasp in shock. Luckily, her hand had not been in the locker, or she would now be sporting an awful bruise on her wrist.

Beside her stood Martha Winfred, the meanest girl at school. Even the girls older than them avoided her, afraid she might lash out at them as well. Behind her stood three girls and two boys, all looking equally as smug as Martha did.

Although Millie knew everyone at school because they all tried to be friendly with her because of her last name, she had no people standing behind her to back her up. She had no friends.

Because she always got quite a bit of attention because of her last name, there were also those who hated her. Martha and her gang being some of those.

She had thrusted the locker closed with one of her broad shoulders, and was currently leaning against the lockers neighboring hers, her arms crossed as she stared at Millie. Millie was rather thin, a bit too thin for her own liking, and with Martha standing next to her, with her pretty curves and grown-up aura, she felt like a stick insect.

"Excuse me," said Millie quietly, opening up her locker again. Though Martha closed it again with a bang.

"Is that a new uniform?" she asked, each word showing off the braces she sported, which in turn didn't make her look as grown-up as when she kept her mouth shut. "Cause it's hideous."

"If that's the best you can come with, I would like to ask you to move aside and leave me alone," said Millie calmly.

Martha furrowed her brow, not satisfied with her reaction, "Oo, look who's posh enough to ask me to leave. But I'm not. You got a lesson to learn. You can't come to school wearing new uniforms."

"Why not?" asked Millie quietly.

Did she even want to know?

"Because it means we've not defiled it yet!" laughed Martha, her gang joining in on the laughter.

Millie let out a sigh, knowing what was about to come. The two boys in Martha's gang walked over to Millie, placing themselves on either side of her and grabbing her upper arms.

"Apparently, there's a clogged toilet just waiting for your face," smirked Martha.

She was about to start struggling. The last time she had managed to get away by screaming, a teacher having heard the commotion in the corridor. He had screamed at them to stop making a commotion, not giving a damn about what was actually going on, which had made Martha and her gang back down….

But it was lunchbreak now, and the teachers were all off in their rooms eating. They wouldn't hear her now…

"Woah!" Someone walked past one of the boys holding Millie, hitting his shoulder against him rather harshly. The voice made Millie let out a relieved sigh, hoping this would save her. "What's going on here?"

"Fuck off Grayson," said one of the boys, Martha immediately quieting down, her eyes widening at the sight of Millie's only friend.

Close to Dick, two of his friends stood, glaring at the two boys holding Millie in a tight grip. She didn't recognize either of them.

"Now, that's not a very nice thing to say," replied Dick simply, his tone light and carefree. "I think you should let go of Millie now."

The two boys laughed, looking over at Martha once. She glared at her two friends before nodding her head, "Sure," she replied with a sickening, sweet tone to her voice. She batted her eyelashes a little too much at Dick before turning to leave. The two boys holding Millie seemed rather dumbstruck, but finally let her go with a scoff each before following their leader.

Millie let out a shaky breath, staring over at Dick who snickered along with his friends.

"Told you she had a crush on you," said one of his friends. "You can totally control her!"

"Hey, you coming with us for lunch?" asked the other friend.

Dick glanced at Millie, who was still standing by her locker, all alone.

"Nah, I'm good. See ya at PE later!"

"See ya!"

Dick watched his two friends leave before glancing at Millie, "You okay?"

"Not really," she replied with a sigh. "Thank you."

"No big deal," smiled Dick.

"You should go after them. They're your friends. And believe me when I say that it's important to keep whoever wants to be your friend…"

"Well," he shrugged, still smiling sheepishly at her, "You're my friend too."

Millie couldn't help but smile widely at that.

"You wanna go grab some lunch together?"

"Sure," smiled Millie.

He cleared his throat, "Milady," he joked as he stretched out his arm to her. Giggling at his bad British accent and the fake posh smile he had put on, she linked her arm with his, the two walking off together to grab lunch.

It was the first time Millie had ever eaten lunch with someone at school. She hoped it wouldn't be the last time either.


	15. 14, Millie Hurting

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **14.**

* * *

 **Millie (several hours later)**

She was seated outside of the principal's office, her hands clasped together and her knee nervously jumping up and down.

Her gaze was lowered to the floor, her back hunched over as her heart beat fast, faster than it ever had done.

What had she done? Of all the things she could've done, she did _that_. What had gotten into her? Sure, those girls were making fun of her, but that didn't make it alright for her to lash out like that. She hadn't known why she had been bleeding, she truly hadn't known. No one had ever told her about that. So what had she been supposed to do but panic? Say nothing and pretend like nothing?

Her cries for help had caused the other girls to start laughing and call her names since they knew what was happening, and she did not. She was fifteen, going on sixteen, though, and they obviously didn't know it was her first time. She was a late bloomer, according to the nurse.

The door opened and Bruce walked out, the principal behind him. The two men looked down at Millie as she stood up, prepared to be screamed at by her father. However, Bruce simply turned to the principal and shook his hand.

"Thank you," he said simply before walking past Millie.

She knew she had been suspended from school for the rest of the week, and she hoped Bruce had made sure that she was not completely suspended… and so, after having earned a quite unkind look from the principal, she followed Bruce.

He didn't say anything to her as he entered the sportscar he had chosen to drive that day, though he waited for her to enter the car before starting the engines. She was seated in the front-seat, there not being a back-seat, and the air around her felt suffocating. She knew it would start at some point, the scolding. And the wait for it was horrible.

"Just… say it," sighed Millie at last when Bruce stopped for a red-light.

Still, she got no reply. She glanced at Bruce sideways, though saw him simply concentrating on the road ahead of him. At least, that's what he tried to make it look like. Millie had lived with Bruce long enough to know when he was pondering something and when he was simply lost in his own train of thoughts. When Bruce was pondering, he looked different. He would usually bite down extra hard, tensing his jaw to the point that the jaw muscles would start jumping back and forth. This was what she was seeing now when looking at him. He was not simply driving. He was pondering.

"I'm sorry," she tried, though still didn't get a reply.

Instead, she sighed, looking straight ahead again. Silence filled the car once more for at least twenty more minutes.

"I should be the one apologizing."

Millie nearly gasped at the sound of his voice, though suppressed it, knowing it wouldn't help the current situation she was in.

"For what?"

"Not having talked to you… About certain things," said Bruce, almost making Millie feel a little uncomfortable as she thought about how that conversation would've gone.

"No, I get it. You're a man, after all. It's not like you thought about it." Millie shrugged before looking down at her hands uncomfortably, sadly. "The nurse told me everything I needed to know."

Bruce nodded his head, finally glancing over at Millie again. "What exactly happened with… that other girl?"

Millie tensed, looking down at her lap before answering; "She, uh Martha, was the one starting it all… It's like, I just saw red all of a sudden. In an instance, I felt the rage of a psychopath fill me and all I wanted to do was kill her. End her stupid laughter… I didn't though. 'Cause those feelings scared me."

"So, you punched her instead?" asked Bruce, his voice an octave lower than it usually was, indicating he wasn't happy about it.

"I tried to stop myself. But I just… couldn't… It just happened. And when I punched her the first time, she called me names… and that just made it worse. Dad, I've never felt anything like that before. I felt _relieved_ when her eye socket gave way… It was horrible."

 **Bruce**

He looked over at Millie as she sat beside him in his car. When he had gotten the call from the school, he had thought it would be about Dick. He was the one that seemed the most troubled out of the two. And as of late, he was the mischievous one out of the two. So, when the call had been about Millie, Bruce had been more than surprised and worry had seeped into every cell in his body. He had broken several laws when speeding over to the school. Though he hadn't cared at all. All he had had on his mind was the sight of his little girl hurt or wounded.

Little had he known it had not been Millie that had been hurt, but the other girl who had been taunting her.

When he heard her explanation of the entire ordeal, Bruce was even more shocked. There truly was something he had missed about this girl. Then again, it might have been his own fault. He was there more for Dick than for her, not only because he had no clue how to raise a child, no less a daughter, but because Batman took up most of his time and Robin was beside him much more than Millie. Granted Robin was not Dick, Bruce was more of a parent to Dick as Robin, than Bruce was to Millie as Millie Wayne.

 _I should have been more present. This is my fault._

Yet, there was also a voice in the back of his mind that said something else… Something different…

This might have been a long-time coming. The rage. The unexplained feelings she had in her, that twisted whatever was good and pure inside of her, into a darkness of never-ending hatred. Perhaps the hatred was not there yet, and Bruce would be damned if he ever let Millie become so hateful, but it might happen, he might lose his grip on her.

Usually, those dark quirks ran in the family. And if those familiar eyes belonging to someone that used to look exactly like Martha Wayne truly were the eyes of _her_ daughter, then Bruce would not be so surprised anymore that this did happen. All he had to do now was truly make sure he had not been assuming the wrong thing all this time…

 **Elaine**

Mark was standing beside the Penguin. Though Elaine couldn't run to him and greet him. She had to act professional. Besides, Nygma was still holding a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from walking over to those she belonged to. A glare was evident on her face as she stood there, her hands cuffed and Nygma's filthy hand on her shoulder.

"Well, well," began Cobblepot with a raspy voice, holding his umbrella in his right hand. "You didn't lie."

"Lie?" asked Nygma, furrowing his brow in anger. "That's hurtful."

"Hand her over." Cobblepot bluntly ignored Nygmas feelings, holding out a hand towards Elaine. She wanted to run over to him, take that hand and walk away. But Nygma's hand did not waver from her shoulder. Instead, his grip tightened.

"What's the magic word?" taunted Nygma, cupping a hand around his ear and leaning forwards slightly… mockingly.

The Penguin glared over at Elaine while lowering his outstretched hand, causing her to almost whimper. This was humiliating the Penguin, and she was the reason behind it. Of course, he could've simply let her be, though he hadn't chosen that and so, there he was now, standing there being forced to thank one of his rivals… because of _her_. She was going to hear about that later in some worse way than a scolding, she knew that.

"Thank you," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes flaring up in hatred towards the green clad man.

"There we go, that wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Nygma, cocking his head to the side as he said it before suddenly pushing Elaine forwards.

She stumbled over to Mark, glancing at the Penguin who did the same to her, before she looked back down at the ground. Mark gave her the same look the Penguin had had; sternness and disappointment evident in that look, causing Elaine to wish she had simply punched the civilian who had tried to help her instead of letting her weakness take advantage of her. Had she done that, she would maybe have gotten home on her own, and Nygma wouldn't have grabbed her.

 **Millie**

It was late and Millie was lying on her bed, a warm blanket wrapped around her and the light on the bedside table still turned on. Outside, the moon was shining down through her window right on top of the dollhouse she had gotten from Bruce during her first ever Christmas. Her eyes were fixed on it, remembering the endless number of hours she had played with it during her childhood.

Her childhood…

Somehow, she wished she could go back to that time where everything seemed so simple. The time where she, for hours, could pretend to be somewhere else in her own fantasy land without there being consequences.

Without there being nasty bloody fluids coming out of places she had not known fluids could come out of, stripping her of any innocence she had had and making her a _grown-up_ … The cold, harsh truth of reality didn't exist during her childhood…

Her bedroom door opened, which caused her to look away from the dollhouse and take in a deep breath, her eyes fixing on the person entering her room. Bruce walked over to her bed and sat down next to her, his back facing her. He leaned his elbows down on his knees, seeming to be thinking about something to say, though not finding the correct words.

Millie wanted to go grab her teddy-bear, who had been placed on a shelf last year after Millie wanted to start sleeping on her own. Last time Bruce had looked like such, he had used the teddy to convey to her what he wanted to say. However, before Millie could make a move towards the bear, Bruce spoke up.

"Dick asked for you," he said. "I didn't tell him. I said you were sick."

"He'll probably have heard of it already… the entire school probably knows," sighed Millie, wrapping the blanket tighter around her at the thought of having to go back to that school the next week.

Bruce turned towards her, placing a hand on her upper arm which was exposed to the cold air of her room, the rest of her body covered with the blanket. She smiled up at him.

"Thank you…"

"For what?" asked Bruce, frowning.

"For taking it so well," replied Millie. "You didn't freak out."

The ends of Bruce's lips seemed to twitch slightly, as though he wanted to smile though was repressed the urge. It caused Millie to feel a little uncomfortable, seeing as the reaction she got was nothing but a stare.

Bruce let go of her arm again, standing up once more. "Good night, Millie."

"Good night."

 **Bruce**

Closing Millie's bedroom door behind him, Bruce quickly walked away. With determined and quick steps, he made his way downstairs again and towards the sitting area. At the end of the room in one of the corners, pressed up against many bookshelves filled with books he had never really read, a piano stood. Pressing a few of the keys, one of the bookshelves shifted, opening up a narrow passageway which Bruce knew led to the Batcave.

It was one of many entries and although it was the most used one, it wasn't Bruce's favorite one. Millie had those strange urges to begin to play the piano at random days and since Bruce didn't want her to find out about his and Dick's secret, he didn't like it when she did. The keys were quite random and didn't form a chord together, though Millie couldn't really play the piano yet and who knew what she could end up accidentally doing.

The bookshelf closed behind Bruce seconds after he had entered and after he managed to make his way down the narrow steps, he found himself in his Batcave. It was late and it was time for him to go out there either way, but it wasn't his suit he was going for. It was the bat computer.

It was stupid, he knew it was, but when he had entered her room he had only gone to fill up a small vial with her blood.

 _Bruce turned towards her, placing a hand on her upper arm which was exposed to the cold air of her room…_

He knew the truth already. It was obvious who their parents were. One only had to look at them to know it. Though he had never really doublechecked, and with the latest… _incident_ having aroused some new parts in Millie that Bruce had never seen before, he had to make sure that he was not mistaken.

And now that Dent and the Joker seemed to want something from Elaine, it was more important than ever to truly be a 100% sure that the twins were indeed who Bruce assumed they were.

He placed the blood on a small piece of glass, putting it on a scanner connected to the bat computer. Immediately, Millie's file was pulled up along with Elaine's missing person's file. And two more… Whatever was going on with Elaine, might put Millie in trouble too, and Bruce had to start working on what that 'whatever' was.

Bruce, or rather Batman, had met the two sisters before, granted they were who Bruce assumed, when they were no older than two, maybe three. Their mother had gotten a price on her head. Someone was after her and the Batman had wanted to help…

Though things had not really ended the way he had hoped.

"Master Dick has fallen asleep. He was exhausted. He told me to tell you he won't be coming with you _out_ tonight," said Alfred as he entered the Batcave. "May I ask what you are doing, sir?"

"Working."

"Millie and Elaine…" breathed Alfred.

"The Joker _and_ Dent wanted Elaine. Dent _had_ her, but obviously wanted her for other reasons than those he was using her for now. There's something…"

"You think that with Elaine on their side, they might have a leverage on him?"

"Yes. And I'm afraid that someone is going to understand that Millie might have that same hold on him."

"But they have never met," deduced Alfred. "Would he love her?"

" _Does_ he love?"

"I would say no, sir. But from what I saw back in the days… those two…"

"I know, Alfred. They did love each other. Which means he's capable. Question is if he still is capable. And if he is… it might mean he's in danger."

 _"Blood samples cross matched. Identity confirmed."_

"As we thought then. Sir, this information can be accessed by Master Dick."

"I know, Alfred. I'll make sure he can't get to them."

"You still think keeping it a secret is the best thing then?"

Bruce sighed.


	16. 15, Punishments and Catwoman

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **15.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

"Please!" exclaimed Elaine, another sob escaping her throat.

Her entire body was shaking and her ribs began to flare up with pain again, Nygma's treatment wearing off. All the blood in her body was rushing to her head, causing it to throb painfully. Though the fact that she was hanging upside down wasn't what she was worried about. It was _what_ she was hanging above that worried her.

The shark, _her_ shark, was swimming around in circles underneath of her, his eyes seeming to look up at her with a devilish glint. She didn't care if Elaine was his master or not. All she cared about was food. Besides, Elaine hadn't been there to see Tiny for a while. Tiny would not recognize her anymore. Not only that, but it had been a big shock to Elaine to see how big Tiny had become. Elaine was sure that Tiny could swallow her up in one gobble.

"You _humiliated_ me!"

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, tears trickling down her cheeks and landing in the water below her, causing ripples on the surface that excited Tiny even further.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, love."

"Please… I didn't know… I just- I just wanted to get out!"

There was a long silence which was only broken by Elaine's tears falling down in the water below her.

"Lower her," ordered the Penguin, causing a scream to leave her throat.

"No! Please… _Please_ …" Slowly, the wire wrapped around her ankles began moving downwards, lowering her towards the water. If Tiny wanted, he could jump up and grab her already. Though he seemed to enjoy seeing her suffer. "I just wanted to go home! Please…"

"Wait!"

Elaine glanced over at her boss and through the tears, she could see him holding up a hand. She wasn't being lowered anymore, though she was still in danger.

"Hoist her back in." The Penguin said this quietly, staring at her still without blinking even once.

"But, boss-"

"I said, _hoist her back in_!" exclaimed the Penguin in a mini fit of rage, causing the thugs to jump to work.

She was still crying and shaking as she was brought back down to the catwalk and she pushed the thugs away from her, hugging herself as she curled up into a ball on the floor. The Penguin walked over to her, crouching down next to her.

"If you think I did all of that just for you and because I feel something for you… You're _wrong_ ," he said, taking a puff from his cigar. "I did it… I did it, because I know Dent trained you well. And I want what he had. _Get it_?"

Elaine slowly nodded, starting to pull herself back together even though all she wanted to do was continue crying. She had expected a punishment of some sort. But not that sort of punishment.

"Get yourself together. We have work to be done tomorrow," said Cobblepot, standing back up.

As Elaine looked up at him, she thought that, just for a second or two, she saw some kind of remorse on his face; a sympathetic look. Though it was gone the moment she saw it and he scoffed at her before turning around and waddling away.

Mark walked over to her, the rest of the thugs following their boss. The nightclub was going to be opened now and everyone needed to be in place. They had waited a little longer with opening because of Elaine's punishment.

"Can't believe he didn't kill you," breathed Mark, grabbing her arms and hoisting her up to her feet.

"If he wanted me dead…" breathed Elaine, "he wouldn't have come to the Riddler in the first place."

Mark shrugged. "Sometimes, the boss simply wants to kill the man on his own. Though, he did have to go through quite a bit to get you."

"I know…" sighed Elaine, wiping away the tears from her cheeks before taking in a shaky breath. "I deserved that."

Mark watched her as she pushed past him, leaving the catwalk and walking towards the stairs that would lead to her room. He sighed, shaking his head slightly before walking away from the giant fish tank.

Up in her room, Elaine sat down on her bed. Although she was happy to be back again, there was something inside of her that was causing her to feel uneasy. With wide eyes, she tried her best to search through her mind to find what it was. She brushed past the everlasting hatred towards her sister, not wanting to think about it at the moment. It was when she came upon the memories of what had happened to her the past couple of days that the discomfort in her heart grew.

It was the Joker's and the Riddler's words. The Joker had clearly stated that he _wanted_ her on his team, as though he found her important. The Riddler on the other hand had seemed to know something, perhaps the very something that made her important to the Joker. Not only that, but he had clearly told her that the Penguin knew something.

 _The Penguin…_

The discomfort wasn't gone though. She deduced the fact that people seemed to know more about her than she did herself, but it wasn't what was causing her to feel bad. It was the fact that she was back. Yes, she was happy. This was her home… But was it her home? Was this what a home was supposed to be like? The Penguin had basically just tried to kill her. Although Mark was up there on the list as well, the Penguin was the closest thing Elaine had to a role model; someone to look up to, a father figure. For him to so easily be able to kill her off hurt.

Softly, she placed her head on the pillow, the softness of the bed made her let out a relieved breath. Though almost immediately, tears started to stream down her face. Letting out a curse, she brushed the tears away, glancing over at the door to make sure that no one was there to see her being weak. Rolling her eyes, she pulled herself together.

"Stop it, Elaine," she said as she sat back up. "This way you're no better than that poor excuse of a sister of yours."

"Now that's a very harsh thing to say to oneself."

Elaine gasped, jumping up to her feet and taking out her dagger from underneath her mattress. She turned to the window where the voice had come from and widened her eyes as she saw _Catwoman_ there, sitting on the windowsill with a smug look on her face and in full costume (of course).

How had Elaine missed that?

"I heard you had quite the welcome home party down there," added Catwoman, smirking over at her. "That sorta party ain't for everyone."

Her leather suit creaked slightly as she jumped down from the window.

"Get. Out."

Catwoman chuckled, "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then you're here to steal something. Or get information. I'm not giving you anything."

"Fine," exclaimed the Catwoman, her smirk gone. "I just want you to know something."

"And what's that?" Elaine gripped her dagger tightly as the Catwoman walked over to her closet and mirror, inspecting the clothes she had there. They were by now too small for her as she had been away for so long, and the Catwoman seemed to realize it as she scrunched up her nose.

"You need to go shopping…"

" _What_ did you want to tell me?" pushed Elaine, wanting to get her out of her room before anyone else saw her and got the wrong idea. The Catwoman was a wild card, sometimes being on their side and sometimes being on _the Batman's_ side. One did not want to be associated with her.

"Someone's keeping an eye on you. Through me."

"You've been spying on me?"

She smirked, turning to Elaine again after her inspection of Elaine's clothes was over.

"I was. And then I lost track of you."

"I was with Dent's – damn it…"

Catwoman chuckled, "You're not very good at this, are you?"

"That's it?"

She walked over to Elaine, clearly not afraid of the dagger she was holding.

"I also want you to know, that my spying on you has not… benefitted me much. If ever you have a _better_ offer… just let me know."

"And who is it you're spying for?"

"Try to be clever about this-"

"The Bat? What interest does he have in me?"

"It would surprise you how much interest he has in you. Just…" she sighed. "If you're ever going to, say, _do_ something about the rich twin sister you've got out there… count me in."

"Why?"

"The money I could steal from that sister of yours _of course_. Why else?" She rolled her eyes, pouting her red, painted lips before closing Elaine's closet doors again.

"You just want to do this for the money? No other reason?"

"Why are you asking?"

Elaine sighed, lowering the dagger and loosening her grip on it, "Because people keep telling me that they 'knew my mother' or 'know me', or whatever… There's always weird, secret reasons behind everything people do for me or with me. I'm sick of it."

Catwoman smirked, placing a hand on her hip, "Then I'll be the first one to not say something like that to you."

"But…?"

"But I did know her. She was… different. Good at punishing those who went against her family. That's why you remind me of her, what with your constant want for revenge against your sister."

Elaine narrowed her eyes, "I'm doing this for myself. Not my family."

"Right." With her hips swaying wildly, the Catwoman turned and walked back to the window, "A word of advice, kid… Confront your dear boss. He knows more than he's letting on."


	17. 16, Cobblepot's Girl

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **16.**

* * *

 **Millie**

A week had passed and the following day, Millie would be returning to school after that terrible event. During the week, Dick had brought her homework, though, apart from that, Dick had barely spoken to her. It caused her some distress, not wanting to lose her closest friend. By telling herself it was nothing she did feel a little reassured. After all, Dick wouldn't just leave her like that. Not after having lived together for so long.

However, if he heard what she had done… would he still want to be her friend?

The past week she had had nightmares. These nightmares brought her back to the orphanage and her time with her sister, explicitly the time when Millie had found Elaine in the basement with all the dead rats. Her brain connected that horrible event with what Millie had done to Martha, creating horrible images of what could have happened had Millie not restrained herself.

Trying to forget those nightmares and prepare herself for the upcoming school day, she wandered around the hallways of the manor with her phone in her hand as she listened to loud music through her headphones. Unknowingly, she was humming quietly to herself while she did this and when Dick rounded a corner, seeing her walking in front of him and hearing her hum, a smile graced his lips. Though not because she was singing…

As he walked up to her, he got a brilliant idea and instead of alerting her to his presence, he used his skills as Robin the Boy Wonder to sneak up on her. Waiting a few seconds, listening to her humming, he placed his hands on her shoulders, shaking her slightly. She screamed, startled by him, before spinning around, a hand against her chest as she looked at him with wide eyes. The look on her face was priceless to Dick, and so he started laughing loudly.

"How dare you!" she exclaimed, removing her headphones from her ears and glaring daggers at Dick who simply continued to laugh.

"S-Sorry, but that was just too good a moment to let it pass." Dick, wiping away imaginary tears from underneath his eyes, continued to chuckle at the angry look Millie was giving him.

Millie rolled her eyes, turning her back on him again before starting to walk down the hallway once more. Dick quickly jogged after her, slowing his pace as he reached her and walking beside her. The sunlight from outside hit them through the window, making the otherwise rather dull looking hallway look beautiful and enlightened.

"You feeling better?" asked Dick, knowing that Millie would forgive him easily if he just let it pass.

"Yeah…" replied Millie quietly.

"I heard you got sick," said Dick. "Bruce told me."

Millie simply hummed a yes in reply, her cheeks growing slightly red.

"People at school say something different though," continued Dick to which Millie groaned.

"What are they saying?" she asked cautiously, the two of them rounding a corner, entering the main hall and immediately heading towards the main lounge.

"To be honest, everyone is saying different things now. But in the beginning, they said you were ganged up on in the showers… What happened?" asked Dick, the two of them reaching the living room and sitting down on the couch.

"Nothing, really," lied Millie, shrugging.

"Yeah, right," snorted Dick before looking over at Millie, who herself was looking down at the floor, a look in her eyes Dick hadn't seen before. "You know… when I first arrived here… You were the one that got me back on my feet. In more ways than you can even imagine."

Millie looked up at him, confused by what he was saying. Back then, she had been young and she had barely done anything for him. Yes, she had been kind, but that had been it. She had just searched for a friend in all honesty.

"I wanted revenge… I wanted to kill the man who murdered my family," continued Dick, his eyes glazing over with a haunted look. "And I had the chance to do it. But I didn't. Because I knew that you would never look at me the same way again if I had done it."

"Dick… what are you talking about?" asked Millie quietly, though he didn't listen and simply continued.

"I knew that if I became the same low scum as them, I would never be able to be friends with someone as truthful and angelic as you," he said, the haunting look finally disappearing in his eyes again. "So, do as me. Don't go down to their level; don't tell lies. Because that's what they're doing now, at school. Telling lies and spreading rumors. Do as me, and step up above them… Tell me the truth."

"That… was the deepest shit I've ever heard," said Millie after a long pause, making Dick smirk while Millie giggled slightly. However, she grew serious quite quickly again, her eyes locking with Grayson's. "I don't know what you just said. I mean, half of it confused the shit out of me… But, I suppose… Something happened in the showers and, the other girls started to make fun of me. So, I lashed out."

"You 'lashed' out?"

"I punched someone… Over and over and over again…" said Millie, looking down at her hands. "And it felt good… Bruce kept me here because I got suspended for a week. That's all… I swear."

Of course, she had left out the bit about her annoying period finally making its first appearance since that was a part of her life she knew Dick didn't need to know about. It was bad enough that both Alfred and Bruce knew about it. Though, it felt good to tell the truth about the rest, especially the punch-part.

Dick nodded his head, taking in the words she had just said. "Punching someone who's a douche can be quite satisfying."

Millie looked over at him. That was one of many odd things he had said to her that day.

"Sometimes you say the strangest of things, you know that?" Dick chuckled, shrugging at her. The two sat down on the couch, returning to their past selves almost immediately as though neither had barely talked to each other that week. Millie placed her feet in his lap, and he leaned backwards, slouching down in the couch.

"Now… It's your turn to be truthful," began Millie, earning a glance from Dick. "What did you mean when you said you _had_ the person who murdered your family? I mean… Did you actually do some research on your own that I didn't know about?"

Dick shook his head, looking down at his lap and her feet, as he seemed to ponder on what to say next. Patiently, Millie watched him, wondering what was going on in his head, what it was he was thinking about.

"I, uh, went by the GCPD with Bruce… And I saw him," said Dick, taking in a deep breath. "And all I did was stare at him even though I wanted to just…"

"Kill him," finished Millie.

She wanted to believe him. She truly did. But there was something about the way Dick looked at her, the way his eyes glazed over with a haziness she hadn't seen before, that made her doubt he was telling her the truth. Not only that, but the past month, Dick had been saying odd things to her constantly. Things that almost indicated that he had some sort of secret life in which he fought a lot and did crazy stuff. Though it sounded ridiculous in her mind and unbelievable when she said it out loud in front of the mirror.

It wasn't just that, it was also the fact that Dick had begun to suddenly change his tactics when the two of them trained together. Because, yes, that still happened. Although she had skipped their sessions that week.

Once a week, the two would meet up by the garage and Dick would continue teaching her how to do what he could do; acrobatics. She was bad at it, though she could do some tumbles. Besides, it wasn't really about learning a new skill for Millie, not anymore. Instead, it was about spending time with Dick. Spending time with him was… different than it had been during her childhood… It wasn't just fun… It was… riveting.

"The man had done bad things before," continued Dick, seeming to be trying to convince himself when he said the following part; "That's why Robin helped the Batman track him down."

"Oh…" was all Millie could muster, confused as to how he knew all of this. Suddenly, a burst of energy went through Dick, causing a wide smile to appear on his lips.

"Let's go out," he said. "Let's do what Bruce would never allow us to do."

Millie widened her eyes at him though before she could reply, said man appeared in the doorway, calling Dick's name.

"A word," said Bruce as he had caught the attention of the teenage boy beside Millie.

With a stiff nod, Dick glanced at Millie once before standing up from the couch.

"Maybe another time," said Dick quietly, earning a soft smile from Millie.

However, Dick and Bruce didn't leave her happy. Instead, they left her confused. Dick was acting weird and she wanted to know why.

Yet, there was a faint hint of happiness inside of her at the thought that Dick might just have asked her out… albeit he might not have meant it that way, she still wanted it to have been like that.

Which was a whole new feeling she had never experienced.

 **Elaine**

With confident steps, Elaine walked down the dark and murky corridor, Mark and two of the new recruits following behind her as her loyal thugs. Her determined aura was what kept Mark from asking her where she was going. She had, after all, just simply stood up in the middle of a sentence while playing cards with the three thugs, not mentioning what it was she was going to do before all of a sudden marching off. They knew that if she simply needed to go to the bathroom, she would have said something once they started to follow her. The fact that she didn't made them confident that she was going somewhere else, somewhere where she might need their muscles.

The three thugs frowned when she reached the door of the Penguin's office, her fist knocking three times on the wood before she entered, not bothering to wait for allowance. Mark watched from the doorway as Elaine walked up to the desk, barely not heeding notice of the three barely dressed women and men standing around the boss, looking at her with shocked expressions.

"What are you doing, girl!?" exclaimed the Penguin, clearly enraged to have been interrupted during such an intense moment.

Elaine glared at the half naked people before clearing her throat, waving her hand about as she said; "Mind giving us some space?"

They looked down at the Penguin who nodded his head, glaring at Elaine as he did so. Mark closed the doors behind them, him and the two rookies staying inside of the office out of both curiosity and worry for Elaine.

"Are you mental?" roared the Penguin, slamming his hands into his desk before standing up, leaning forwards to glare more intensely at Elaine. "Perhaps I should have fed you to Tiny when I had the chance!"

"You've kept things from me," said Elaine, her sudden confidence nearly scaring herself. The Catwoman's words to her a few nights ago had been playing in her mind constantly, and she had finally made up her mind. This was going to be the day when she realized everything; when she uncovered all secrets people had been keeping from her.

"What?" the Penguin asked.

"You heard me."

Cobblepot leaned back slightly, narrowing his eyes as he inspected the girl in front of him. "Where have you gotten these ideas from?"

"Nygma," was her only reply before a snarl came from the Penguin, his eyes glaring at her again.

"Whatever has that wrench of a man told you!?" he exclaimed.

"That you are keeping things from me!" exclaimed Elaine, her angry tone disappearing and turning into a desperate one as she continued to talk. "That you knew my mother… Besides, he's not the only one. Catwoman's indicated-"

"Why are you talking to that bitch?"

"-that you're keeping things from me. The Joker seems to know something too. Even Dent did! So _spit it out._ "

Mark tensed. This was something he hadn't anticipated and almost immediately, he looked over at the two rookies, gesturing to them to leave the office. When he looked back at the scene before him, Cobblepot was looking straight at Mark, a look in his eyes that Mark hadn't seen for quite some time.

Elaine looked back at Mark, not understanding why her boss was looking at him so intensely. When Cobblepot finally looked away, sighing, Elaine looked back at him again, a frown now evident on her face.

"I saw her in you when you stormed in," he said, his tone softer than usual to which Elaine frowned even more. "She used to have your willpower and strength. Drove every man around her mad. She _used_ to be the only one not afraid of me. Now, it seems, you're not either."

"You knew her," replied Elaine, her eyes widening. "Everyone's been right! You have been keeping things from me!"

"Yes," snapped Cobblepot before calming himself down, letting out a long breath through his nostrils. "I didn't see a reason to tell you. But I knew her. We worked together once, a long, long time ago. Your mother and I."

Elaine gasped…


	18. 17, Belle Smith

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **17.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

Cobblepot rounded his desk, his hands behind his back as he looked everywhere but at Elaine.

"What was her name?" asked Elaine quietly, watching Cobblepot as he started to chuckle at some form of a memory.

"Some people called her Annabelle. Some people called her Anna. I was the only one who called her Belle. But the papers called her the Fowl once they realized she was part of my crew. She hated that name though. Made it seem as though she was a domesticated woman who answered and belonged only to me." Oswald chuckled, "I didn't mind the name…

"She was quite the amazing young woman," he continued before looking over at Elaine, a deep look in his eyes telling her that he was thinking about something in particular. "More amazing then you would think… Elaine, there is something else."

She tensed up as the Penguin walked over to her, placing herself in front of her and staring at her. He was a smaller man and so, their eyes were on the same level. People always figured he would smell bad. But as a matter of fact, the Penguin was a man of style. The hallways and bedrooms were all decorated in a fancy way though the lack of cleaners made the place funky either way. The man himself smelled of cologne and his hair was brushed back with far too much hair gel, which in turn gave off a sweet scent.

"She used to be my bodyguard, in a way. She handled all the, let's call it hand labor, for me," said the Penguin. "She was my closest ally. I want you to take over that role. I want you to walk in your mother's footsteps."

Elaine widened her eyes at his words, excitement filling her at the same time that she felt scared. Being his body guard, being his closest ally, would attract attention from the Batman and _every single other 'employer'_ out there who wanted to get to the Penguin, seeing as they'd have to get through her first.

Was it worth it?

"Here," he said, walking back to his desk and pressing a little red button. The sound of rods working, pressing against each other, could be heard all around them as a bookshelf close by suddenly opened up like a door. Behind it, a glass altar existed. It looked much like a monument to someone special, and as she saw the figure of the specially made clothing, she realized those weapons and clothes behind the protective glass had once belonged to her mother.

The weapons were both simple and… odd. There were guns there, all specially made for someone particular who enjoyed the colors black and white, and the Penguin crew's logo was on the side of the guns. The odd weapons were little, metal balls. They were not attached to each other, and so they were not meant for hitting people with, or tripping people with. They were… just weird. She's have to figure out what they were for at some point.

The cloth were _beautiful_. Black, comfy pants (no leather) with a low cut waist. There was a belt too, a wide leathery one with a belt buckle at the front made of silvery metal, again with the Penguin crew's logo on it. There was a white t-shirt cropped high so her belly showed, a few tears in it from having been worn during, Elaine deduced, fights. Surprisingly so, a comfortable cardigan as black as the night was meant to keep the cold away, though it too was cut short so her belly would still be visible. For outdoor wear, there hung a trench coat, classy and in the same style as something the Penguin would wear.

Besides all of that, there lay a simple book closed off with a lock that seemed to be missing a key.

"It's all yours."

She missed the look the Penguin sent her when she was standing there, close to her mother's things. Had she seen it, she would have realized that there was more he was hiding from her. More things that at some point would come to change her entire world.

As she looked at her new belongings, her eyes briefly caught sight of her own reflection in the glass. The Penguin had walked back to his desk, and Mark had taken his place behind her. She briefly turned her head towards him, glancing up at him with questioning eyes. He, on the other hand, smiled down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

His bare arms showed off his tattoos, one of which was the Penguin crew's signature symbol. It was situated amongst the rest of the paint on his arms, barely visible unless you were looking for it. For the first time in all the years she had known him, she noticed a specific tattoo on his right arm – another bird though not a Penguin; a simple bird with a whip around its neck. She wondered what it meant.

A hint of pride could be seen in his eyes, along with something else she could not quite point out. She recognized that look from the Penguin; that strange look he sometimes gave her when she did something right… pride, yes, but there was something more…

"You're worth this." He seemed to try and reassure her of something. It confused her, seeing as she had not been doubting that either – right? Then again… his words seemed to soothe her a bit, indicating that he had read something in her eyes that she herself had barely even registered yet, and she smiled at him. "I'll always follow you. So will my men."

He said this quietly, maybe to avoid the Penguin hearing him saying this though she did not understand why he would hide that. Elaine would only ever follow the Penguin, and if he and his men followed her, they would stay devote to the Penguin as well. Cobblepot knew this and he would not get mad at Mark for saying that to Elaine.

Filled with emotions she could barely even point out, and still excited over hearing the truth for once in a while, she turned and gave him a hug. Hugging was not something one did especially when a part of that particular lifestyle. It startled both Elaine and Mark to be honest. Though when Mark did put one arm around her, albeit it was an awkward gesture, it felt warm.

Was this what it was like to have a father? Or was this something else? Was this immense urge to hug him happiness – daughter love – or… something yet to be found out?

Elaine did not know. And she did not care at the moment.

The two men over by the door locked gazes with her during the hug with Mark, and they nodded their heads at her. The surge of utter power rushing through her at the thought of having men follow her not because they were forced to by Dent or Cobblepot, but because they _wanted_ to and trusted her, felt better than anything she would ever experience in her life, she was sure of that.

And so she broke the hug, stepping back a step from Mark. She put on a serious look on her face, nodding her head at Mark who bowed his head in respect. The Penguin walked over to her, positioning himself by her side, yet still a few centimeters in front of her, and the two shared a moment of triumph.

The Penguin and the Fowl were back in play.

 **Millie**

"Oomph…"

Dick chuckled while Millie glared up at him. They had skipped doing homework that evening to go and exercise together, as they usually did every Wednesday. It had been her first week back to school after the incident, and she had had the worst week ever. She was used to not having friends, though nobody had really showed any real discomfort around her either. Now, everyone seemed to hate her. Everyone apart from Dick and some of his friends, which felt good. Though she had nothing in common with Dick's friends, and was still left alone most of her time at school.

Peoples' hatred towards her would go away again, of course. Scandals happened all the time in school. Just the other month all attention had been directed towards a new student who had tried to apply for cheerleading, only to then fall on her face and have her skirt reveal everything. It had been embarrassing for the poor girl, but things had blown over and calmed down quickly, and now this girl was leading cheerleader.

Granted Millie probably would not become popular after this incident, but people would start talking to her again at the very least.

Because of her awful week so far, she had wanted Dick to teach her to punch so she could let out some steam. You know, 'punch' in a defensive way and not the horrible way she had done towards Myrtha. It was clear she already could punch, but she wanted to learn how to defend herself, not how to attack. Dick had understood immediately and had seemed more than eager to teach her. Much to her surprise, Dick knew all the techniques from the top of his head.

Defending herself from a punch and punching correctly in self-defense had not taken her long to learn, and so Dick was now teaching her how to not get tackled… Which was not going as well as the punching.

He offered her a hand to help her back up to her feet, which she reluctantly accepted.

"Seriously, how?" she asked as he hoisted her up easily.

"Don't worry about it, you just gotta practice – oo!" Millie had tried to tackle him, though he had easily jumped aside and she had once more fallen to the floor. "Missed me."

"I hate you…" she mumbled, letting him lift her back up to her feet. "I don't get it… Do you, like, take ninja lessons at school or something?"

"Of course. Right after Math, at four," smirked Dick before shaking his head. "Look, you just gotta get the technique. Here."

He moved to stand behind her, pressing himself up against her back so he could glance down from over her shoulder. She blushed profoundly at the feeling of… Dick…

"If I'm charging at you right now, to take you down to the ground," he began, pressing his foot against the heel of her left one so it moved forwards to the point where he wanted it, "make sure you have the right stance. That way, you can easily move to the side, using your attacker's weight to twirl you away from him."

"What?" she asked exasperatedly. "It feels like you're talking in riddles…"

"Here, lemme show you." He moved away from her, and she could not ignore the feeling of missing his presence right behind her… She just wanted to follow him and curl up beside him and cuddle… which was odd, as she had never really experienced such feelings before. Truly, her childhood was slipping away from her even more, her innocence going away and being replaced by these odd feelings for Dick Grayson. "When I come at you, put your weight on your left foot so you can easily move away. Okay?"

"Uh…"

He slowly walked over to her, gesturing to her to shift her weight to her left foot. As she did, she unconsciously moved her right leg away from his path, causing him to only bump her shoulder instead of hitting her directly. He stopped as their shoulders touched, turning his head to glance at her, their faces inches away.

"See?"

"Right…" she breathed, staring into those piercing, blue eyes. She cleared her throat, ignoring Dick smirking at her red cheeks. "Now I just gotta remember to do that when someone actually attacks me."

"Let's just hope that never happens to begin with," joked Dick, shifting so he was standing in front of her. "If it does…"

Millie kept staring at him, wondering what he was about to say. He was forming words with his lips, though seemed unsure of what to say next. Instead, he let out a sigh.

"If it does, just know help is always close by."

 **Millie (one year later, sixteen years old)**

Things were being hidden from her. She knew it. Things that no one wanted to talk about. It was bothering her a lot, keeping her up at night and affecting her grades. It was her family that was keeping things from her. Bruce. Dick. Alfred. All of them.

Though that wasn't what was on her mind at the moment. No, what was on her mind was her upcoming job interview. She had absolutely no clue of what she wanted to do with her life and while everyone at school was busy choosing the right subjects depending on what they wanted to do with their lives, Millie was busy trying to find a back-up plan. Maybe she would pursue a career in music. Singing, dancing or playing an instrument was something she did enjoy. But to make a job out of her hobby… Was that smart? And was she good enough to make a career out of it? So, instead of thinking of a full-on future career she might be able to enjoy, she decided to get a plan B to fall back to; a part-time job she could return to after finishing school and still not knowing what she wanted to do. Besides, maybe she found her dream-job through getting this part-time job.

Though she was pretty sure Bruce would find her a place at his company if she got too lost. But that was not being independent, so instead of assuming he would support her, she decided to get her own back-up plan going. Would she choose that over a job at Wayne Enterprise?

No.

She was now standing outside the office of the owner of the Codex Bookstore. Jim, who owned the place, was about to interview her for a job there. If she got it she would have to work there after school, five days a week. It was worth it though to earn some money of her own instead of being dependent on Bruce's millions – or was it billions these days?

Twenty minutes later, and she walked out of the office with a big smile on her face, her bag slung over her shoulder. She had gotten the job and she couldn't wait to tell someone. Her first thoughts were to tell Bruce, though seeing as he was almost never home, she figured she could tell Dick first. As a matter of fact, she knew that Dick was in town and so, she quickly called him.

Another twenty minutes later, and Millie was seated on a bench by Perdition Bridge. Dick had told her he'd meet her there with a friend of his, so she could tell him the good news in person. She was looking out over the disgusting water that was gushing down the canal below the bridge. There was a strange smell in the air, one that she couldn't quite name though one that was often there in Gotham.

An elderly man walked past her, a big coat wrapped around him and a strange look in his eyes as he watched her while he walked past. She offered him a smile though he didn't offer one back, simply staring back at her until he disappeared out of sight. A shiver ran up her spine, not only because of the creepy man, but also because of the cold wind that was rushing past her. The sun was beginning to set and she knew Alfred would start to worry soon. Though she was almost seventeen now and she could handle herself. That, she had told him though she hadn't gotten a reply back.

Another person walked past her. This time, it was a man in his late forties. He had a handsome face, dark hair and penetrating blue eyes. At first, he didn't even pay her any notice. Though suddenly, his head snapped around to look at her, his eyes wide as though he had just seen a ghost. His eyes scanned her, taking in her features as he stopped walking. His arms were bare, showing off muscles that would make even Bane envious. Those arms were covered in tattoos, and one sickening tattoo looked much alike a bird being choked by a whip.

Millie looked away from him, shifting uncomfortably as he kept staring at her. Suddenly, a pair of hands were placed on her shoulders and she jumped, placing a hand over her heart as she turned around, the familiar scent of Dick's hair gel notifying her that it was only him.

"What the hell, Richard!? You scared me half to death!" she exclaimed, standing up and placing her bag around her shoulder again.

Dick chuckled, shrugging as he waved her words off. "Only half to death, unfortunately." He winked as she snorted at his words. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Millie smiled before looking back at where the creepy man stood before, though he was already gone. She looked back at Dick and smiled once more before rounding the bench and hugging Dick who, though he was surprised, hugged her back.

"I got the job!" she exclaimed while hugging him.

Dick let out a laugh; "Congratulations!" he said before spinning her around, managing to lift her of her feet with ease which surprised Millie as he never told her that he did any sort of weight lifting anymore.

"Thanks," she said as they let go of each other again.

"Congratulations," said another voice, causing Millie to look at the other person standing behind Dick.

She had barely even noticed her, having been so excited about getting to tell Dick the news. The girl standing behind Dick was beautiful, really, with red hair and a trench coat wrapped around her petit though strong figure.

"Thanks," said Millie, offering the girl a smile before extending a hand to her. "Millie."

"Oh, I know. Dick talks a lot about you," she said as she shook Millie's hand; "Barbara."

"Nice meeting you," said Millie before looking back at Dick who shifted to stand beside Barbara.

"It was time you two met," said Dick before wrapping an arm around Barbara's waist.

The world suddenly froze as Millie's eyes wandered down to Dick's hand on Barbara's waist. Never had Millie ever had such a strong reaction towards anything ever. In fact, it almost scared her. Not only because she knew that she had a very explosive reaction to strong feelings; sadness could make her punch herself, happiness could make her literally go insane (albeit in a good way) and anger could make her hurt those around her or even herself. No, not only because of that. But because it surprised her so much that the feeling she was feeling wasn't happiness or sadness. No, it was anger and jealousy.

She tried to tell herself that she was Dick's sister. Truly, she did. But there was also that tiny part of her that told her that she actually wasn't. They weren't related. Only Millie had taken Bruce's last name, not Dick. Dick was still a Grayson. They could… if they wanted to… if he wanted to…

She quickly told herself to stop and smiled, the world continuing again.

"Look at that," said Millie sarcastically. "A girlfriend. I'm sorry Barbara."

"For what?" asked Barbara.

"For having to deal with this one," said Millie happily before starting to walk away, ignoring Dick's offended shouts and simply laughing at them.

She laughed a long time, until she had rounded a corner. The two lovebirds hadn't followed her, luckily, for otherwise they would've seen her fall to the ground in pain as she clutched her heart. The anger and jealousy that she had felt earlier had all but disappeared and turned into sadness. Pure and utter heartbreak. Not only that, but the heartbreak surprised her, so she was both sad and confused at the same time. She knew there was more there when she thought about Grayson… but, she hadn't thought those feelings were so strong.

She soon realized she was crying out in public and that people were looking at her strangely. So, she made her way towards a public toilet and called Alfred to pick her up. If she was lucky enough, she would get back home before Dick did so she could calm herself down slightly. Though she knew things weren't going to be the same anymore.

And they weren't either.


	19. 18, Father and Daughter

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **18.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

"Supper's on the table, sir," said Alfred, walking down the steps of the Batcave, his hands clasped together behind his back. "Master Grayson and Millie are already seated."

"I'll be right up," said Bruce, flipping through some more pictures of the Penguin and Elaine, given to him by Selina.

"I have to tell you something, Master Bruce," said Alfred, the serious tone in his voice causing Bruce to look back at him. "I got a phone call from Millie this afternoon. She was crying and asked me to pick her up earlier than we had discussed. I tried to talk to her on the way back home but she was unreachable. Perhaps this is something someone close to her should ask her about?"

"I'll put Dick on it," said Bruce, nodding his head before turning the bat computer off with a simple flick of a switch.

"That won't do, I'm afraid," said Alfred as Bruce stood up. "She's been avoiding him ever since he got back home. Perhaps _you_ should talk to her?"

"Me?" asked Bruce, worry evident in his voice.

"You are her father, legally on paper that is. And something tells me she does indeed look up to you," said Alfred.

A sigh escaped Bruce's lips. It wasn't so that he didn't want to talk to her, but Millie was difficult. She was beginning to develop into a beautiful woman and Bruce didn't know what to do. A part of him wanted to tell her not to go outside, to shield her from the world that he knew could take advantage of her, but he knew that didn't work. He knew she was strong enough to take care of herself even though she confused him greatly at some points. She had the strong-willed mind of her mother along with her beauty, though she had the temperament of her father.

"I will," said Bruce, earning a nod from Alfred.

Dinner was awkward. Dick was, as the stereotypical teenage boy he was, stuffing his face and even Alfred was slightly at a wonder at how much he was eating that evening. Millie was quiet and barely touched her food, two signs that there indeed was something bothering her. Bruce stayed quiet too, having an inner conflict about whether or not he should address her sadness now or later, after dinner.

"Did the job-interview go well?" asked Bruce, remembering the joy and nervousness she had expressed that morning at breakfast. He hoped she had simply been given a 'no', as selfish as that might sound, and that that was the reason for her sadness.

Millie looked over at Bruce, her eyes seeming to look at him dully for a moment before she nodded her head. "I got the job," she replied bluntly.

"That's great," praised Bruce, smiling at her though getting no response back as she immediately went back to picking at her food.

Dick barely noticed, being too occupied with his food to do so. Bruce grimaced at the young man before turning his attention back to Millie. Alfred gave Bruce a pointed look, silently telling him that this was what he had been talking about earlier.

"Is something bothering you, Millie?" asked Bruce.

He didn't miss her tensing up at the question and as the silence fell over them again, Dick looked over at Millie too. Her eyes widened before she furrowed her brow.

"No, nothing."

Bruce and Dick shared a glance, the young man finally noticing that there was something wrong with her.

"Are you sure?"

Millie sighed, not an exasperated sigh, but an annoyed sigh. The glare she shot Bruce's way reminded him almost instantly of her father.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied through gritted teeth.

Bruce looked at her, his eyes scanning her face for any indication of the obvious lie she was telling him. At last, she scoffed, glaring at both Bruce and Dick before pushing her plate away from her, standing up with such haste that the chair almost fell backwards, before leaving the dining room quickly. The napkin that had been on her lap silently fell to the floor as the door shut behind her with a bang.

"I'll talk to her," said Dick, placing his napkin on the plate next to him.

However, before he could stand up, Bruce held up a hand to him. "I will."

Mirroring what Dick had done before, he placed his napkin on the table next to his plate before standing up. As he walked out of the dining room, he glanced at Alfred once.

It didn't take long to find her, seeing as he heard her playing the piano the moment he entered the main hallway of the manor. He softly walked into the seating area where said piano was positioned, tensing up slightly as it was the same piano that could open one of the many secret doors to the Batcave. Though he knew Millie would never play any note as false as the one that opened the door now that she was finally taking lessons, so he relaxed and walked up to her.

She stopped playing when she noticed his presence, placing her hands in her lap and looking down at the piano keys.

"I'm sorry…" she said.

Bruce tilted his head to the side as she continued to talk.

"I've just… There's a lot on my mind," she said.

"I'm listening," said Bruce, sitting down on the chair in front of the piano with her, looking down at her.

"My sister… where is she? What would my parents think about me just letting her go? She's missing! What if she's dead… I loved her, Bruce. She was scary, but I loved her… I mean I think I loved her… "

Pain pushed against Bruce's heart. He knew all the answers to what was eating her up inside. And he couldn't tell her. He was too afraid of losing her then. And although Bruce had never been much of a father to Millie, not in his eyes, she still held a place in his heart. He didn't want her to leave.

"I know it's hard… And I know you want to find out," said Bruce, uncertain if he should say the next part or not. If she ever found out, she might truly leave him. The next lies he had to tell her, were as painful as they always had been. "But I've talked to Gordon, and he really can't find Elaine. She's simply missing. Dead or not, I'm sure she knows you've tried looking for her."

"I hope she's alright," said Millie with a sigh.

"This has been on your mind for a long time already. What caused you to think about it again?" asked Bruce.

"It wasn't all that was bothering me," said Millie quietly, letting her head hang lower. "I met Barbara Gordon today."

"Ah, yes. I've, uh, never really met her," lied Bruce.

"They're dating…"

It was like a slap to the face for Bruce. How had he not noticed this before? The constant teasing from Dick. The constant blushing from Millie. How could he not have noticed? Was he not a playboy?

"Yes… They are."

"I know that we're sort of like siblings," said Millie.

"He's not a Wayne, though," said Bruce, earning a look from Millie which he couldn't quite describe.

Suddenly, tears appeared in her eyes. "I know," she said. It was the first time in a long while that either of them had connected in such a deep way. And the way Millie laced her arms around Bruce's and rested her head against his upper arm as she cried made Bruce's heart both melt and ache. His daughter was in pain, and she let her guard down in front of _him_. It was an honor and a silent show of love from her. He gently placed a hand on one of hers which she quickly grasped.

"You're almost seventeen. You'll find someone else," said Bruce quietly. "You have your entire life ahead of you."

"But it hurts so much," she whispered.

"I know," said Bruce quietly. "I know…"

Unknown to either Bruce or Millie, Dick was standing by the doorway, watching the scene unfold with a grave look on his face…

 **Elaine**

"Look," began the man, his voice trembling. "I-I'll pay up. It's just that, things are difficult, man! The Bat's scaring off my clients-"

"That's been going on for decades now, that's not an excuse anymore," stated Mark, causing the trembling gang leader to nod his head.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"What I'm saying is the boss wants his money. _Now_. He gives you your stuff, and you give him the money you promise him. That's the deal. And you don't break a deal with the Penguin."

Elaine watched from a corner, dressed in her mother's clothing and playing with the dagger the Penguin had given her the very first months she had spent with the crew. The man's eyes kept darting over to her, as though he knew…

Rumors spread quickly, and when they heard the Fowl was back in play, many thugs had become scared and begun to keep their deals even better than before. Oswald was happy about that, of course, and Elaine knew he had what he had always wanted since the day he had taken her in. More control over his empire, and with a stronger control and more fear, he could even let his empire grow bigger.

This was what Elaine got to do now, this was what her mother used to do. And she bloody loved it. This was her way of being close to her mother, not to mention that she got to experiment with how to strike fear in the hearts of idiots.

"I know, I know," whimpered the thug. "But I can't! I can't pay!"

"Come on," said Mark with a soft voice, leaning down to look at the poor, tied up man with what he thought were sympathetic eyes. "This doesn't have to get messier than it already is. You can get the money, I know you can. Just… cough it up."

"I. Can't."

"Alright then," sighed Mark, a soft smirk appearing on his lips. The other Penguin thugs who had joined them smiled too, knowing what was coming. Everyone who had come with Elaine seemed to remember her mother. They were what Mark called 'loyalists', and they _knew_ the fun they could have in the presence of the Fowl. "Your loss."

"Loss? What loss?" asked the thug.

A drop of blood landed on the floor from where the thug had accidentally cut up a part of his wrist while he had struggled against the restraints. Though Elaine knew that drop of blood was not going to be the last drop.

" _Oranges and Lemons_ …" sang Elaine, casually walking over to the thug as Mark backed away.

A single lamp was lit in the large, empty warehouse they were currently in, and it shone down brightly over the tied up thug. When Mark backed away, he disappeared out of view from the thug, seeming to be disappearing into the darkness around them as he could not see anything outside of the lamp's light. Elaine's corner had been lit up by a small crack in the wall, and she had placed herself there on purpose to make her presence known. The man did not even know about the other thugs in the room.

As she began to walk over to him, she seemed to disappear into the darkness as well, and her beautiful singing voice echoed against the walls, causing the thug to shake even more.

"P-Please…"

" _Here comes a candle to light you to bed_ ," she continued to sing, suddenly appearing in front of the thug who let out a whimper, her hand shifting so her dagger was underneath of two of his fingers on his left hand. "Are you going to cough up the money?"

"I-I can't!"

She twirled her tongue, leaning in closer to the thug's face until their noses were almost touching. She tutted at him, a sadistic grin appearing on her lips at the feeling of utter control over the man's pain and life. He could not move, he was tied up in a chair. She was the only one in control now, and it was almost a sensual feeling to her, arousing feelings in the pit of her stomach she hadn't thought she could have.

" _And here comes a chopper to chop off your… hand…_ " she sang before, in a quick movement, chopping off two of his fingers. His screams were mixed with the sound of the flesh hitting the ground, and her sadistic singing of the nursery rhyme, " _Chip chop chip chop, the last man is dead…_ "

After the whole ordeal, the thug was left unconscious and bleeding profoundly from his left hand, which had no more fingers left. His loyal men had been informed of where he was, and they would soon come to help him. But he would never regain his five fingers again, and it would be a constant reminder to him what happened, or rather who happened, to him if he could not keep his part of the deal with the Penguin.

Mark was chuckling as they all entered the blue van, Mark driving while Elaine was in the front next to him. The others were in the back, enjoying some loud music while reminiscing about previous missions that had ended in a similar way.

"Gonna be interesting to see if we _do_ get the money," chuckled Mark.

"Oh, I'm sure of it. I mean, he'll want to keep his right hand, so he's just gonna have to pay," smirked Elaine.

Mark glanced at her, still smiling, "You know, on days like these, you're just like her. Like Anna."

Mark had never really used her mother's name in front of her, and she smiled at him finally doing so. He felt more relaxed around her now that she knew about her mother. Elaine was too more relaxed, thinking she had uncovered all secrets by now… Little did she know…

"Just as pretty as her too."

Elaine stopped smiling at that, staring at Mark who just continued to drive, as though he had not just said something that had aroused feelings in Elaine she had never felt before… As though he had not just called her pretty…


	20. 19, 18th Birthday

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait :p but I'm back. So, this chapter... I remember writing it a couple years ago and thinking this was the best, but it's not. not at all. My point with this chapter is to show the difference between their surroundings - El having friends in a strange way even though she can't experience love in a way you and I can (she being with psychotic/insane criminals) and Millie experiencing love but still being completely alone. The reasoning behind Millie having a big party is sort of because of her blood; a sort of strange lust being inside of her that wants to be popular - it'll make more sense when you know more about the twins :p**

 **anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter even if it's a bit 'euw' in my eyes. After this, things will get ten times more interesting. Dick and Millie are getting to the age where they transform into who they are supposed to be which opens up a lot of interesting plots. Same goes for Elaine of course. So, just bare with me with this chapter and nr 20 :p**

 **enough rambling, I'll let you read now**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **19.**

* * *

 **Elaine (two years later, eighteen years old)**

 _"For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good feeellooow!"_

Elaine laughed loudly, Pete (newly out of Blackgate) waltzing over to her where she sat in the middle of the room, watching the men around her drink and sing for her. She was sat there on her own on a chair decorated with some balloons, wearing her ordinary clothes she always wore, the ones she had gotten from her mother. The only difference was that she had fixed her hair with a little gift someone had sent her.

Two gifts had been standing outside of her window that morning when she woke up. Two gifts was more than she usually got on her birthdays and usually they would not even be wrapped. Though these two presents had been wrapped very neatly. Without having thought about the dangers with accepting those presents, she had grabbed them and opened them.

The first one had been a box wrapped in purple paper with a neat, green bow on top of it. As she had opened it, confetti had sprayed onto her face, the shock of it having caused her to fall backwards off of her bed. Inside of the box, however, had been a beautiful red rose. Just the one with thorns so big she even stung herself so that blood dripped down onto her sheets. Though she had not cared and simply put the beautiful rose on her nightstand, intending to put it in a vase later. A note had been resting at the bottom of the box and she had picked it up. All that had been written there, in a sloppy handwriting, was 'happy birthday' along with a single letter; **J**.

The second present had been wrapped just as neatly though in black and red wrapping. There had been no bow on that present and it was particularly bigger. As she had opened it, more carefully than before. Luckily, there had been no confetti in that present and she had gotten to enjoy the sight of her present immediately. She had been in awe of it, never having owned one but knowing many girls her age did.

A curler for her hair.

On the bottom of that present, there had also been a card. The card was written in a neat handwriting saying the exact same thing as the other one though one extra sentence had been added. And the signature was different too.

 _Happy Birthday!_

 _I hope ya like it_

 _-H_

Albeit she had been confused about the presents, she had still liked them and she had fixed her hair for the first time with that very curler. Did it look the same as what she always saw on the TV or in magazines? No. In fact it looked rather horrible. Though she had had fun and she had realized the curler could also be used as a weapon, seeing as she had burned herself more times than she ever had in her entire life during that one simple procedure. Which was the reason for why her hands were decorated with little, red marks.

Pete placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Happy Birthday kid," he said, placing a bottle of whisky in her hands.

She raised an eyebrow at him, realizing it was the same whisky she had tasted all those years ago when she had not been able to sleep and had walked downstairs to him and the others. She had been so young then… In her line of work, it was amazing that either of them were still alive and well.

"What?" he asked sarcastically. "From what I can remember, you liked it."

"Shut up," said Elaine, gently pushing him away. "No chick-flick moments."

"No chick-flick moments," agreed Pete with a chuckle, walking away again.

Though she couldn't help but feel immensely touched by the gift, holding it tightly in her hand, intent to not let anyone else touch it.

The thugs continued to laugh, sing and drink in her name and now that she had the bottle, she could join in. Mark was standing by Pete, singing along in his own calm way. As she looked at him, he raised a glass towards her, smiling at her with a proud look glistening in his eyes.

She smiled back, raising her bottle gently before they took a sip of their drinks together.

The arrival of the Penguin was notified by the men all lowering their voices and Elaine could not help but smile slightly at his arrival. She had expected him to stay away from the party, though he still arrived and was walking straight towards Elaine, not taking notice of his drunk men.

"We're keepin' the club closed for ya," said Oswald, his eyes flickering down towards the bottle briefly before he looked her up and down. "You better be grateful."

"I am," she said with a smile, standing up. "Thank you… Sir."

"Well… Is there anything ya want?" he asked.

Elaine raised an eyebrow.

"As a gift," he explained further. "It's a special birthday. You want somethin' in particular, I'll get it for ya."

"Millie."

The word came out so quick that she had barely even had the time to register that this was where her mind went when her boss uttered those words and promises.

"Ya sister?" he asked, the thugs around her quietening down.

"I want my revenge. She left me to rot, never even thinking about searching for me even though she had all the means to when she became a Wayne… A Wayne… She's a betrayer to the family. They're our enemies," she said.

For a moment, a proud flicker filled the Penguin's eyes followed by a conflicted look.

"Anything for you, my dear."

 **Millie**

Perhaps the invitations had been lost in the mail. A lot of things did not work the way they should work in Gotham, after all, and that could be a very good explanation for it. Or maybe Millie had chosen a bad day to have her eighteenth birthday party on. It was a Friday and maybe everyone had other plans already. Dick and Barbara had, after all (though they had promised to celebrate her birthday the day after, just the three of them), so why would the others not have that?

Others… They weren't her friends and she didn't know them. But she had figured that, seeing as she was rich, people would gladly come to her party even though they didn't quite like her. After the incident with that one girl, no one had ever looked at her the same way again… But… people were vain, shallow… Why would they not jump at the opportunity to see the Wayne Manor?

Millie was sitting in the large dining hall. The long table which Alfred had added even another table to so that it was long enough for 20 people to eat at, was filled with cakes, crisps and other candy intended for the guests to eat. Soda and other drinks had been poured up into large bowls and placed on a separate table by the large windows. Decorations were everywhere, especially in the ball room where music was blasting though where no one was dancing.

Her birthday cake, which Alfred had made especially for her, was standing in front of Millie as she sat there, all alone.

No one had come.

And she had specifically asked everyone to leave the house so she could have the time of her life with her classmates. Mostly she had wanted to prove herself to the other girls, prove to them that she was not weird and that she was worthy to hang out with them.

Though they did not see it like that. They had ignored her invitations, probably thrown them into the bin the moment they had received them even though Millie had poured her heart into every invitation, making them different for each person to match their personalities. And they had just ignored her.

To say that she was sad was an understatement. She knew that she was the strange one at school. She knew people also feared her… But she had never really seen herself as lonely.

Now, she did.

"Why did no one come…?"

The question hurt her heart. The candles on the cake were burning brightly and she knew that they were soon going to begin to burn the cake. Though she did not care. All she cared about was the pain inside of her. She wanted to feel better seeing as this was her birthday, but the pain from having been ignored like that was too much for her to overcome just like that.

How was she supposed to make herself feel better as everything had just confirmed to her that they did indeed hate her? She knew, in the back of her mind, that it had been stupid to actually think anyone would come, but… she had hoped. And when hope is crushed, left to die, it _hurts_.

Other thoughts were swirling around in her mind. Perhaps they were joking around, trying to trick her into believing it and then all of a sudden everyone would appear at the door, surprising her.

But she doubted that.

"Whatever," she said, her voice shaky as tears appeared in her eyes. "There's way more cake for me now."

Blowing out the candles, she smiled as tears began to flow down her cheeks; "I wish they'd all go to hell."

Cutting herself a large piece of cake, she ate it while the tears were ruining her carefully planned make-up. It tasted delicious, the sweetness of the cake almost hurting her cheeks. As she was halfway done with eating, she grabbed the plate and angrily hurled it against the wall, the porcelain exploding into a million pieces and the remains of the piece of cake staying splat against the wall, probably ruining the very expensive wallpaper.

Though she did not care.

She stood up quickly, walking over to the drinks and grabbing one. As the sweetness of the soda only added to her anger, she hurled also that glass against the wall, all the while her tears still running down her cheeks.

Millie quickly made it into the kitchen, finding the wine fridge quickly. She grabbed one of the bottles that wasn't opened, crashed the top against a counter to open it and began to drink it, ignoring the painful prickling of the broken glass against her lips and simply enjoying the burning sensation of the wine. She had never had alcohol before and didn't know that the prickling was not just because of the alcohol burning her insides.

Bringing the bottle with her to the ball room she turned the volume up even more, her ears hurting from the sound as she began to dance, spilling wine everywhere and continuing to drink it at the same time. The pain inside of her drowned out the pain in her throat as she not only downed wine but also broken pieces of glass from her very un-orthodox way of opening the bottle.

She did not realize the bloody taste in her mouth or the blood slipping down her chin from the cracked open lips she now had. All she knew was that she was crying, dancing and laughing at the same time. All. Alone.

The room was spinning now, probably from all the crying and the alcohol she was consuming rapidly. As she fell onto her bum, she let out a scream of agony, her fingers curling tightly around the bottle.

Though the scream had been a mistake as she started coughing uncontrollably, blood spilling out of her mouth as the shards of glass cut her insides. She was no longer able to breathe due to the pain and blood and in the end, she fell down to the floor, unconscious.

Her mind had cracked that night in a way she had never thought it could and she still did not know where that trait came from. All she did know was that before her eyes closed, she had seen a man crouched in front of her. A man she recognized though could not remember where she had seen.

 **Bruce**

"Goddamn it…" breathed Robin, grabbing Batman's outstretched hand, who immediately pulled him up to his feet again with ease.

"That's Two-Face's thugs dealt with," said Batman with a nod of his head.

The two of them were standing in the middle of a bank, unconscious men lying all around them. Soon, Batgirl joined them, being slightly out of breath.

"Piece of cake," she said, clutching her arm where Batman could see a scratch.

His eyes flickered over to the clock, seeing that it was two in the morning already which meant that Alfred would have already gone back home to check on Millie. To say that Bruce had been worried about leaving her alone to tend to her party was an understatement. Though she was beginning to grow up and he did not doubt that she was capable of such responsibility already. Though he was still worried; worried to the point where he had actually been quite distracted while fighting as Batman – distracted to the point that he was sure people who watched her daily could see in his fighting just how distracted he was.

"Relax, Bruce," said Robin. "She's having the time of her life right now. Just wish I could've joined her."

"Me too," said Batgirl with a sigh. "Though this needed to be done. Dent can't stay out on the streets for too long. Besides, we're still not a hundred percent sure of how he got out."

"We should go," said Batman, turning his backs on the two younglings and beginning to walk towards the exit. "The cops will be here soon."

"Gordon's gonna have one hell of a lot of paper work," commented Robin as he and Batgirl followed Batman outside, the three of them grappling up towards a building overlooking the bank.

"There'll be more. We still don't have Dent," said Batman, the three now up on the roof, watching as the police arrived, their sirens flashing.

"Nor the Joker. Nor Penguin," said Batgirl. "Nor Scarecrow-"

"We get it, Barb," said Robin. "Besides it's not our fault that none of them want to stay in Arkham."

More sirens could be heard off in the distance. For a moment, Batman assumed it was back-up, though the sirens never arrived at the scene, instead leaving Gotham.

"Did we miss something?" asked Batgirl, having seen the same sirens as Batman.

"Those were ambulance sirens, someone's gotten hurt," explained Batman, worry latching onto his heart which he tried to ignore, seeing as it would be highly unlikely that those sirens were headed to Wayne Manor.

"Not because of some crime we've missed, right?" asked Batgirl.

"No," said Batman, shaking his head.

Satisfied with their work, and after having watched the police begin to arrest the thugs inside of the bank, Batman, Robin and Batgirl all made their way to the alley where they had parked the Batmobile and Batgirl's motorcycle. After a few goodbyes and promises to keep Batgirl updated on Dent's men (who for some reason were rallying even if Dent was still securely locked up in Arkham), they parted ways.

Batman and Robin were silently driving back to the Bat Cave, longing to get back to bed, when Alfred called. Batman pressed the button in the Batmobile to set the call on speaker and before Batman could respond, Alfred was already talking.

 _"Bruce, you need to get back right now."_

"Is everything okay?" asked Robin.

 _"I'm at the hospital. I had to take Millie there."_

Batman pressed his foot against the breaks, the Batmobile coming to an abrupt halt.

"What?" he asked harshly.

 _"I-I came back to the manor to find her on the floor, a bloody mess. She was barely breathing… I thought… Oh, I thought the worst."_

"How's she now?" asked Dick worriedly.

 _"She's in surgery. They had to remove the glass… Just, come to Gotham General. Quickly."_


	21. 20, First Try

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **20.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

Pete laughed along with most of the other men as Elaine made her way downstairs to the lobby the next morning. She was a mess, her hair sticking out in odd places and her clothes turned inside out. Bags were under her eyes and all in all, she looked like she had been inside of a tornado.

"The lady's first hangover," announced Pete louder than necessary, patting her on the back.

Elaine glared at him, only earning more laughs from the men.

"You shouldn't have had the entire bottle," said Mark with a shake of his head.

"I hate you," retorted Elaine, sitting down at the bar, resting her forehead against the cold material of it, hoping the coolness of it might help her throbbing headache.

"Cheer up," said Pete. "The boss is preparing a plan for your birthday present."

Elaine quickly looked over at Pete and the others, her eyes wide with excitement.

"For real?" she breathed before standing up, quickly walking over to Pete. "I want in."

Pete chuckled. "You're kidding, right? The boss won't accept that."

"Why not?" asked Elaine with a glare. "I can fend for myself."

"Yeah, but you've never done a kidnapping before," said Pete. "He'll never agree with it."

Elaine scoffed. "He doesn't have a choice but to let me join…"

"What, are you going to argue with him?" asked Mark with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'll fight him if I must," said Elaine, earning laughs from the other thugs to which Elaine only rolled her eyes.

 **Millie**

She awoke in pain. Her throat hurt, her stomach hurt and her head hurt. Though the pain seemed far away, as though she knew it was there but at the same time it also wasn't. And as she opened her eyes and saw that her world was softly swaying back and forth, she realized why the pain was so far away.

She was drugged.

She let out a sigh, remembering her break-down on her 18th birthday; the birthday that should have been the happiest day of her life though which turned out to be the most embarrassing and most devastating day of her life. Not only had someone probably found her as the mess that she must have been, but this would become public as well. She was Bruce Wayne's, sort of, daughter and the fact that she had ended up in the hospital would not be overlooked.

"You're awake."

Millie turned her head to the right, seeing Bruce sitting on a chair next to her bed. Dick was sitting there as well, though his head was resting next to her hand and he was sound asleep. Bruce stared at her, his arms crossed over his chest. For a moment, she had actually thought that he would begin to yell at her, though he let out a breath instead.

"Good. That means you're healing," he said, leaning forwards slightly and placing a hand on her upper arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell," she whispered, her throat nearly burning up as she spoke and a faint taste of blood appearing in her throat as well.

Bruce continued to stare at her, a tension growing between the two of them. She was sure that Bruce actually wanted to yell at her for what she had done to herself and the manor's wallpaper, but was trying to contain himself as best as possible. Of course he was mad at her, it had been a rather stupid thing to do after all, though she had been heartbroken and the feelings inside of her had simply been too much to handle. It all had been too much to handle and she had snapped.

She wondered briefly where she had gotten her messy, over the top, emotions from. She did not know her real parents and as far as she knew, Bruce had not managed to figure out who her real parents were either – not that she had asked him. It seemed an awkward question to ask. Either way, their personalities could have answered why she was so emotional.

"That's not surprising," said Bruce, nodding his head once more. Millie quickly figured that smiling during his state of mind was not an option and that that was the reason behind why he was nodding instead. "You went through a lot. The top of your stomach was punctured by some glass, they needed to do two surgeries to stabilize you and heal you."

"How long…?"

"A week, almost. The surgeries happened five days ago," he explained. "But you'll be fine now that you've woken up. It means you're healing."

"Da-"

"Alfred brought some of your presents here," interrupted Bruce, looking away from her and gesturing towards the edge of her bed.

There, a small table was placed, probably indeed meant for the patient's personal belongings. Though instead of her belongings, it was filled with presents that Alfred, Bruce and Dick had bought for her. She never did get around to opening them.

"Some of your friends even sent you some gifts and cards," said Bruce, standing up and walking over to the table, lifting up one card and reading it. "Get well soon. Love, Alex."

"Alex?" she asked. "I don't even know an Alex."

"You're a Wayne. This Alex here is the son of another wealthy family. Though I don't want you hanging out with them. They're… Corrupt," he said before gently placing the card back down and picking up another instead.

"Dad, I just want to say-"

"Happy Birthday and get better soon, pumpkin. Love, Ha…"

Bruce's eyes widened as he paused, his eyes scanning the card over and over again before he looked over at Millie, who grew worried with each second that passed.

"Da'?"

"I have to go."

Millie tried to sit upright or move or even stand up again, though it only resulted in pain. She needed to apologize for her behavior, she needed to talk to him; ask him what had gotten into her – though Bruce had already left the room, card in his hand. Dick had awoken when she had moved and he immediately grew worried at the pained expression on her face. He shot up from his chair and helped her to ease back down onto the pillows she had been propped up onto before she had moved. His hand lingered on her shoulder as he remained standing up, towering over her with his intensely blue eyes looking down at her.

"Thanks," she breathed, relaxing as the pain disappeared. "I need to talk to Bruce. He just left but… I need to talk."

"I'll get him," said Dick, nodding his head.

As his hand left her shoulder, it felt cold. It was of course quite natural that it would, though it felt colder than it should have done and it almost felt as though it passed into her heart. She immediately regretted indirectly asking for his help, wanting him to stay by her side, though there was not much she could do now. After all, she could not move without being in agonizing pain.

Several minutes passed and Millie had almost fallen asleep again when Dick returned.

"He, uh, needed to do some work. Something urgent came up."

He was lying. Once again, Bruce and Dick were keeping something from her. It nearly broke her heart and she could feel those emotions rising up once more, though she did not want to show anyone that side again; in fact, she did not even want to see it herself. It was ugly and gruesome and not something she wanted to ever experience again.

"I'm sure he'll be back though," said Dick reassuringly, probably seeing the saddened look on her face though not truly knowing what it was about. "Then you can talk to him."

"It's okay," she said, looking back up at the ceiling.

"No, it's not. Everything is far from okay," said Dick, his wavering voice causing her to look over at him again and when she saw the sadness in his eyes, an overwhelming feeling of wanting to wrap her arms around him and make him feel better took over her body and she grasped his hand, which he squeezed tightly as he sat down again. "You could have died. I thought you had. When Alfred called… I was so worried."

"I'm sorry," said Millie, relief flowing through her body as she realized that she could finally apologize to someone, which she had wanted to do with Bruce too though he kept cutting her off, not wanting to hear it. "I truly am. I know it's stupid to be sorry when I've clearly done this to myself, but I swear to you that I did not mean for it to happen. Honestly, I don't even know what happened."

"You broke the bottle and swallowed some glass…" he reported monotonously."

"Oh…"

"That's lethal, you know." He tried to give her a smirk, but failed terribly. When not even Dick Grayson can make the mood lighter, then he truly is feeling bad about something. It hurt Millie a lot to realize this.

"Look, I know this is complete bullshit to you, but I just want you to know that it wasn't me. It was like something took over… Like an inner darkness. But I couldn't control it. I can't remember if I wanted to stop it even… God, I'm such a mess…"

"But you're a hot mess."

Millie snorted at his comment, and let out a chuckle as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. Though she tried to stop herself from laughing too much, her throat hurting tremendously as she did, it still felt good. Her words must have calmed him down a little bit; at least enough for him to return back to normal again for a little while and come with stupid remarks as that.

"Look," he began, suddenly serious again. "We've all got this weird darkness inside of us. We're all a bit creepy… Don't let this get to you. You just accidentally reacted very, very strongly to something that would've hurt anyone."

"No one came…" she whispered.

Dick tightened his hold on her hand, "I know M. I know…"

"What do I do wrong? Why… Why does no one like me?"

"You don't do anything wrong. Hey, I like you, right? And Barbara doesn't seem to mind you. Or Wally – "

"Who?"

"My friend, you met him once, I think. Oh! Or, um, that new girl with the blonde hair. There's just… People just get very jealous."

"But not of you," deduced Millie. "And you live where I live too."

"Yeah, but I don't have the Wayne name."

She quietened.

"Look. I'm gonna be honest with you right now… Fuck those people. They're all just insecure children running around thinking they're important."

"Wow… Where's this coming from?"

" _My_ inner darkness."

Millie smiled at him, to which he smiled back.

"We're all a bit fucked up."

Dick chuckled at her words, "Indeed."

"That just makes me adore you even more."

As though he suddenly realized something, he wriggled his hand free from her grasp and stood up, "I should go."

"Wha-"

Before Millie could say anything more, Dick had already left…

 **Bruce**

Multiple cars were parked in the driveway, and thugs clad in the Penguin's clothes were marching over to the front door. Alfred and Bruce had been working on figuring out who had sent Millie that birthday card signed 'H', though before they could scan the handwriting with the bat computer, an alarm had gone off. The security cameras were now showing to them both what was going on at the front door.

Wayne Manor was under attack.

"What's the Penguin's crew doing here?"

"Millie." The word came out of Bruce's mouth before he had even realized it himself, and immediately he stood up and walked over to a catwalk to the left. From it, one could look down a waterfall that fell down into a smaller underground river. Above the river, their jet was standing on a small platform, ready to fly up and out of the Batcave should the Batman need it.

On the catwalk Bruce was currently standing on, his and Robin's current suits were stood on mannequins, ready for them to put them on whenever they needed. And right now, Bruce needed his suit badly.

Putting it on in record time, under thirty seconds, Bruce made his way to one of the many exits. That particular one would take him to the gardens, so that it would not be so obvious that the Batman lived at the manor.

The thugs were currently kicking in the door when Batman quietly snuck up to them. Bruce had no problems identifying the man obviously leading the group.

"Mark."

All thugs turned around in shock at the deep, growling voice of the Bat. Mark in particular looked completely out of it. They had obviously not counted on the fact that the Batman would be out during the day. Normally, that was true. Unless something big happened, Bruce stayed at home during the day as Bruce Wayne. But they were, unbeknownst to them, attacking the Bat's home, and so, they were going to have to get through the Batman before they could get inside.

Luckily, Millie was at the hospital and if Bruce, although he knew it was not going to happen, failed to fight these thugs, she would still be safe.

One by one, the thugs fell to the ground, unconscious, until he finally reached the last one. A couple of thugs ran over to a van and drove off though Batman didn't care about them.

"Why are you here?"

Mark was pressing himself up against the wall of the manor, staring wide-eyed at the Bat.

"W-What?"

" _WHY ARE YOU HERE?_ "

"O-Orders from the boss! We're here for the Wayne girl!" exclaimed Mark.

"She's not available at the moment," countered Batman before kicking Mark in the stomach. Picking him up by the sleeve, Batman stared Mark in the eyes, "Tell Oswald these grounds are off-limit, according to the deal I made with Anna."

At the mention of her name, Mark seemed to grow some confidence.

"Deal!? She died because of you! Whatever deal you two made, it's over!"

Without a strain, Batman threw Mark over towards the car. His back hit the car first and he groaned before slowly sliding down to the ground.

He hazily glanced at the Batman who stayed put at the veranda, glaring at Oswald's right-hand man. Mark took the hint and entered the car, coughing up some blood as he did, before driving off and away. Four cars were left and at least ten men were unconscious on the ground.

 _"Sir, I've called the GCPD. They're on their way. Perhaps Bruce should meet up with them?"_

"Good idea."

 **Millie**

 _"Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Millie, happy birthday to you."_

She could not wipe the smile off of her lips as Barbara and Dick entered with a slice of cake and a small candle stuck into it. They held it up in front of her, letting her blow out the candle before they placed the cake to the side (knowing Millie could not actually eat it in her current state), bringing the presents over to her bed instead. Barbara had added two presents of her own, and by now Millie had at least fifteen presents.

"Go on, open up!" exclaimed Dick eagerly.

"You guys didn't have to do this," blushed Millie.

"Are you kidding me? You just had the worst birthday of your life. This was the least we could have done," smiled Barbara, sitting down on the bed next to Millie while Dick grabbed a chair. "So, go on! Open them up!"

Ten minutes later, all presents were opened. Most were insignificant stuff some of the rich families had sent her, meaning bracelets and necklaces she knew she was never going to wear. Though some of them had stood out.

One was from Alfred, who had bought her the third part of a book series she was currently into. One was from Bruce, who had actually bought her a chance to meet up with the author of the book series she was into. One was from Dick, who had bought her a poster of the current book series she was into.

"I feel like there's a theme here," had Dick joked when she had opened up those three presents.

Barbara had bought her a pair of beautiful earrings and a mascara she had once, a while back, mentioned she had always wanted to try out. For being just Dick's girlfriend and not really Millie's friend, Barbara had actually bought her pretty things, which warmed her heart greatly. Maybe that was a sign of friendship? Though Millie didn't know as she had never even come this close to a female friend.

Then there were two presents left. Two smaller, both wrapped professionally with string and bow. One was purple with a green string, while the other had a red and black theme.

Dick's smile faltered slightly at the sight of the presents.

"Who are they from?" asked Barbara.

"I don't know. Da' left with the cards before I could read them."

"That's why he left in a hurry?" asked Dick quietly, earning a look from Barbara.

"Yeah… Why?"

"Nothing," answered Barbara for him with a forced smile. "Let's see what's inside."

Millie smiled, although she felt slightly confused.

As she pulled the bow on the purple present, the lid flew off, confetti spraying all over Millie. Everyone gasped, Dick nearly having run over to her to rip the present away from her. As the confetti came to a rest on Millie, she let out a giggle.

"What was that?"

She looked inside of the box, seeing nothing more but a small card. A sloppy handwriting had written 'haha' on the card.

"Wow…" she mumbled, showing it to Barbara and Dick who grew eerily quiet.

They stared with wide eyes as she opened the last present, the black and red one. No confetti came out though, and instead there was a tiny little stuffed animal lying in the box. A note lay in there as well.

The stuffed animal was dirty though one could still see that it resembled a cat with a turquoise bow around its neck. Though the stuffed animal didn't mean anything to her, until she read the note.

 _Was with your mum an hour before it happened. An hour after it had happened I returned. Found this. Think it belongs to you._

 _Happy Birthday Millie._

 _Love. Auntie._

"W-What does that mean!? Who is this from!?" she exclaimed, showing the note to Dick and Barbara, and cringing at the pain in her throat and stomach upon suddenly exclaiming that. Whoever had given her that present knew about her parents, knew who she was. Desperately she clung to the little kitten, shaking from top to toe.

Though Dick and Barbara hardly seemed equally as excited as her. Instead, they stared at the note and the wrapping… a haunted look on their faces.


	22. 21, Cuddles

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **21.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

A few hours had passed since Oswald had sent out a group to go get Millie. She had stayed up in her room, waiting patiently. And now she could hear cars arriving back.

She sprung up from her bed, ready to finally face Millie again and make her feel the hurt she felt after having been abandoned like that. Sprinting down the stairs, however, Elaine came to a sudden halt at the sight before her.

Into the club, only a few of the men had stumbled. Oswald was staring, watching, from his seat at one of the tables as Mark stumbled in behind everyone else, a bit of blood visible on his teeth.

She gasped, running over to Mark, "What happened? Where's Millie?"

Mark shook his head, turning to Oswald to answer her question, "The Bat was there."

"In broad daylight?" asked Oswald calmly. "That's unusual… He must have been warned beforehand of what we were going to do…" His eyes slowly moved over to Elaine. "Did you talk to that wretched cat again!?"

"No! I swear! I haven't told anyone on the outside about our plans!"

Oswald seemed to calm down at her words before sighing, "We'll need another plan then."

"You think he's spying on us?"

"The Bat's _always_ spying on us. It's not as if we're hiding from him," retorted the Penguin with a roll of his eyes. "This is bigger than we realized."

"I still want Millie," urged Elaine, walking over to Oswald's table.

He simply nodded his head, "I know you do… But maybe we should do this differently. Clearly the Bat protects those he thinks are innocent… What if we make him believe Millie isn't so innocent after all?"

"How?" asked Mark as he sunk down on a chair nearby.

A nearby thug coughed up some blood and the Penguin bluntly told him to shut up before continuing to explain their plan, "If the people of Gotham think innocent little Miss Wayne is associated with the likes of us, the Bat might not protect her as much anymore."

"I like that plan," smiled Elaine, Oswald mirroring her smile as the two exchanged a look. Elaine did not realize how eerily alike their smiles were.

"Fine, but how are we going to make them think she's one of us too?" asked Mark with a huff.

Oswald glanced at Elaine, smirking, "Well, we have 'er twin."

"I could dress up like Millie and wreak some havoc-"

"No, that's too much work," dismissed Oswald. "This needs to be simply something swift. Easy. And not such a huge deal, just so people start gossiping, speculating, and make up worse rumour than we can fake."

"In other words, I gotta show my face."

"Exactly."

"Yeah, boss', but where?"

"The annual Christmas Charity Party, hosted by none other than _Bruce Wayne_." The voice came from the entrance. Some of the thugs who had been treating the wounds of those who made it away from the Bat sprung to their feet and pulled out guns, pointing them at the intruder.

Rolling her eyes, Catwoman simply walked over to the table Oswald, Elaine and Mark were sat at, bluntly ignoring the guns and the supposed threat they were.

"Millie's eighteen now, she's going to have to start appearing more out in the open. I doubt that Mr Wayne isn't going to have her appear. Not to mention that every rich person is going to be there. It's my favourite night of the year. 'Cause no one's home to keep their precious, expensive jewellery safe."

Nonchalantly, Catwoman sat herself down on the table they were seated around, staring knowingly at the three of them.

"It's not a bad idea…" said Elaine quietly, looking over at her boss.

"There'll be guards-" started Mark.

"Of course! But that's nothing you lot can't get past."

"And why are you doing this? Giving us ideas?" asked Oswald, narrowing his eyes at the cat before him.

"Oh, Oswald, always so mistrusting," she smirked. "I want in on busting that rich family. Mostly because I can rob them if they're in jail."

"Jail… or worse," smirked Elaine. "I say we trust her."

"To trust her would be unwise." Catwoman hissed at Oswald's words. "But, she could be of use if she knows so much of the rich."

"The rich are my speciality," smirked Catwoman.

"Good. Then let's start planning."

 **Dick**

A few days had passed, and Millie was back home. She was currently asleep upstairs in her room, Alfred keeping an eye on her so that she would not begin to wander around looking for the others.

Dick and Bruce were both down in the Batcave, Barbara having arrived there as well a few moments ago. They had scanned the handwriting and confirmed that it had been the Joker and Harley Quinn who had sent those presents to her. Exactly why that had happened was what they were discussing right now.

"The note clearly states that Quinn knew Millie's mother," repeated Dick as Bruce had remained silent for the third time after either he or Barbara asked him a question he, apparently, did not want to answer. "Meaning we should take her in and question her."

"Those two are wildcards. They'd do anything to simply cause anarchy-"

"But why start anarchy in the Wayne family?" asked Dick. "That won't benefit them much."

"If you want, I can start focusing on the Joker and Harley-"

"It's too risky, Barbara. No, they'll resurface again soon on their own."

"But, Bruce, they _know_ something about Millie's past! Maybe this is a lead for us to follow up on! A lead for Millie to follow up on! We might finally get to the bottom of this-"

"There's nothing more to discuss. I won't have either of you following up on this lead, and I won't have either of you thinking you can find out anything about Millie's past. There's nothing. Period."

His booming voice caused Barbara to give up, while Dick simply glared at the man.

"You're keeping something from us, aren't you?"

Bruce only sighed, sitting back down in front of the bat computer and turning away from the two youngsters.

"This is serious, Bruce. I care for Millie. More than I care about anyone else! I want to see her happy, but I can see how it tears her up inside to have not a single detail about her family or where she came from." Barbara stared at the back of Dick's head as he spoke these words, her brow furrowing. "Now that she's got this note, she's not gonna stop thinking about it. Before, she might at least have been able to let it go, but now… I know how that is. Because I was like that when we got our first lead on Zucco. And you know as well as I what that did to me. Hell, I even dragged Millie into it. And I remember how furious you were about that, so why not let her in on this from the very beginning? So she won't have to go behind your back?"

Bruce only kept staring at the bat computer, not indicating to Dick that he had heard him in the slightest.

Frustrated and anger bubbling up inside of him, for the very first time towards Bruce Wayne, his mentor and father-figure, Dick clapped his hands together in a rush of agitation; "This is ridiculous! We're your family! We're not supposed to keep secrets from each other."

"Let it go, Dick." Bruce said this so calmly, so monotonously… it frustrated Dick more than anything else ever had. He caught sight of Barbara curiously watching Dick's reactions to this, and unfortunately missed the hint of sadness in her eyes. Instead, he continued trying to get him to tell the truth, to no avail.

Eventually he gave up. His nostrils flared as he let out an annoyed groan and began to walk away when Bruce said one last thing:

"I will know if you go after Quinn."

Barbara placed a hand on Dick's arm, a look in her eyes urging him to please _not_ do what she knew he wanted to do. At that look, Dick let it go, nodding his head.

"Fine," he spoke to Bruce before walking to one of the exits. "But don't think this will make her love you more."

 **Bruce**

Dick's footsteps faded away and he let out a sigh.

"Are you really not going to do anything?" asked Barbara's soft voice.

Bruce turned in his chair, a determined look on his face. He didn't have to do anything. He already fully understood the note, but if he told Batgirl or Robin, the secret he was keeping, Millie might be in even more danger to be revealed to the truth than she already was.

"No."

"You _do_ know something though, right?"

"Barbara," he began, causing her to look at him worriedly. "If I tell you that this is something between me and… and Millie, will you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you Bruce. I'll always trust you'll do the right thing," she spoke softly, walking over to him. "I thought I had proven that when I agreed to keep this secret lifestyle from my father. Your friends, the commissioner… But… If you're really keeping something from her, Dick is right. This isn't going to make her love you more."

With that said, Barbara turned and left, leaving Bruce alone. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the notes in front of him.

Things were only getting more and more complicated each day.

 **Dick**

Dick walked out of the lounge at the same time that Millie wanted to enter.

Had she been two seconds earlier, she might have seen something that would have turned her life upside down.

"Oh!" exclaimed Millie, not prepared to almost walk into Grayson.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Dick, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Well, yeah, but Alfred was going to make me tea and he had me wait in my room, and I just don't want to be there anymore…" she sighed, looking up at Dick pleadingly.

"I was heading to my room to do some homework, but I can stay with you for a while until Alfred returns."

"Yes!" exclaimed Millie, doing a mini victory dance before hopping over into the living area. Dick watched her with wide eyes, wondering what had gotten into her. _Shouldn't these movements hurt?_

Inside of the lounge, Dick could only watch as she hopped up onto the sofa, jumped up and down twice, before she jumped down and ran over to the piano.

"Jeez…" he breathed. "Why can't you be this energetic when we train together?"

She giggled at his words, "You want me to play something?"

"A-Are you… high?"

"I took some morphine 'cause it hurt," she explained with a shrug. "Do you want me to play something?"

Dick grinned at her, nodding his head. He sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace, the piano and Millie visible to his right. As it had always been, the family portrait of the Waynes hung above the fireplace. It was still the old one, where Bruce was a kid and still had that twinkle in his eyes…

" _Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clemens._ "

Smiling, Dick looked over at Millie as she began to play the piano, singing the all too familiar nursery rhyme. She used to sing it constantly, he remembered, when they were still kids. Sometimes he'd find her playing with her dollhouse, even though she was way too old to do so, up in her room, singing that exact song to her dolls.

As she reached the end of the song, she abruptly stopped. Dick watched her with curious eyes. With one finger, she continued to play the tune on the piano, quietly singing along.

" _Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head_ …" she paused, a strange look in her eyes. " _Chip chop chip chop, the last man is dead…_ "

"That turned dark," commented Dick with a smirk on his lips, though it faded soon as Millie kept staring ahead of herself.

"I… I haven't thought about that for a long time," she said quietly. "I've been pre-occupied with school and missing out on friends and… birthdays… I haven't really thought much about… _her_."

Millie stood up, her energy gone by now and the radiant smile on her face so far away that Dick felt as though the energetic, happy Millie he had seen before had never really existed. She walked over to him, sitting down right next to him with a tense form.

"Who?" he asked finally, although he had already figured out who she might have been talking about.

"Elaine… She, uh, was the one of us that liked that last part of the song. She was a bit creepy. And she hurt me. But… she was still my sister, you know? And I remember that I loved the fact that I didn't have to see her anymore, but that I also felt bad about leaving her alone… Not putting in more effort in searching for her."

"But you were just a kid when she went missing. You can't blame yourself for that."

She glanced up at the painting of the Waynes.

"Have you… Have you ever thought about the fact that I look a lot like her?"

"Who, your twin?" asked Dick in a jokingly matter, although he quickly turned serious when he saw the faint hint of a tear in her eye. "Martha Wayne."

"So you have thought about it?"

"It's hard to miss, you know. Why are you asking?"

"Just something Alfred once said… it was probably nothing."

"Talking about Alfred, why is he taking so long with the tea?"

Millie shrugged before leaning back in the sofa, lifting her feet up and planting them in his lap. It had been a while since either of them had been that relaxed around each other, and Dick smiled at the show of affection.

Though instead of leaning away from Dick and having the entire sofa for herself to relax on, like she usually did, she curled up against his side. He lifted his arm up automatically, letting her rest her head against his chest. He could only stare, his heartbeat quickening.

There she was, Millie Wayne; the girl he had lived with for so long now. In a way she was a sister to him, but at the same time she also wasn't. He remembered what it was like to have a sibling. Dick and his older brother always fought while they at the same time were as close as two peas in a pod.

Remembering his brother still hurt quite a bit.

No, Millie was not a sister. The two never fought. However, they were as close as two peas in a pod – closer even. Dick could read her like an open book and there was a strange intimacy that accompanied that sort of closeness. During their training sessions together (something that Bruce was completely against, by the way), other feelings emerged. Feelings that Dick knew he had all the time, but that he just could not repress when the two were training, sweating and so goddamn close to each other.

He always found ways to get nearer to her during their training session, just so he could smell her scent, feel her body against him – just the way he now could feel her body against his. Her ebony brown, almost black, hair contrasted so beautifully against the green eyes of hers and everything was just so… perfect about her. Dick had always thought he had a thing for red-haired girls. Turns out he just had a thing for girls who understood him and treated him kindly. Like Barbara did. Like Millie did.

His eyes glanced up at the painting of Martha, Thomas and Bruce Wayne. The way Martha had been painted was identical to what Millie was transforming into; a beautiful woman with perhaps a slightly too big of a nose, but with large eyes and perfect lips that made up for it. Not to mention the cheekbones…

It was creepy how alike Millie and Martha Wayne were.

"I don't mind him being slow with the tea…" she whispered suddenly, interrupting Dick's thoughts about Millie.

She fell asleep then, her eyes fluttering closed. Dick missed the sight of those golden eyes twinkling up at him, but at the same time he fell in love with the serenity of her sleeping frame.

His arm held onto her a little tighter.

Barbara was going to kill him…


	23. 22, Better Dad

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **22.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

"I will not agree to this." With a tray in his hands balancing a cup of tea, Alfred stood before Bruce and Catwoman only a minute after he had been summoned down to the Batcave.

"I'm afraid you haven't got much to agree on. It's already settled," replied Bruce. His voice was quiet, the angry look on Alfred's face making him shrink slightly in his chair.

"It's a fool-proof plan," shrugged Catwoman. "They'll appear at the charity event, the Bat will too and we get them both in one go."

"Well, forgive me for not trusting you Miss Kyle, but the last time you helped Bruce you ended up siding with the other guys, just because that would benefit you better," snapped Alfred, which only earned an eye-roll from Catwoman. "Are you not hearing yourselves? How is that a fool-proof plan!?"

"Look, Elaine's really pissed at her sister," began Catwoman. "The only way we can assure that Millie stays out of this and away from any sort of life like ours is by making sure Elaine is locked up tightly as soon as possible. Because, that _is_ what you guys want, right?"

"And what about Master Grayson, sir? Has he approved of this plan?"

"He won't know of it," answered Bruce honestly, sighing once more at the look of disapproval on Alfred's face. "If he does, there's a higher chance she'll learn about Elaine's plan of visiting the charity event. I don't want her to see her sister, and I don't want him to find out this way."

"And how are you going to prevent that, sir?"

"By not telling Dick about it. A while back Millie opened up to me about her feelings for him. It's obvious he has the same feelings as well. At an event where they're the only two their age, they're bound to either leave together or at least get away from the crowd to some private part."

"Private part? To do _what_?"

"You want me to give you the whole bird and the bees talk?" asked Catwoman sarcastically.

"Sir-"

"Alfred, they're not going to go that far," assured Bruce. "I didn't even mean it that way. And if that happens, Dick'll have an earful, believe me. No one's touching my little girl."

Alfred narrowed her eyes, "You see sir, that's the exact problem here, innit? You call her your little girl, but she's clearly not, now is she? She's those freaky monsters' daughter. You see it every day. Now you may think you see Martha, but you're not."

"You're stepping out of line, Alfred," warned Bruce, narrowing his eyes.

 _Since when did Alfred think like that about Millie?_

"No, I'm not. Because you didn't let me finish. Anna was her mother. Now I want you to remember what a strong woman she was once she gained her freedom, once she followed her own path and wasn't held on a leash by a man who thought he knew everything better. Remember that, sir, when you go up there and lie to that little girl of yours about her past, when you go up there and lie to her about what you're about to put her through. And also remember that the one man who never lied to Anna but was brutally honest to her from the very beginning, was the man Anna stuck with and loved 'till the very end. Because I was there when you found her that night, sir. I was there. I heard her talk to you and I know what that poor girl felt for that monster."

"Alfred, I'm trying to protect Millie. I don't want her to do what I do-"

"And yet you allowed an eleven years old, hurt, little boy to do what you do."

"Because he was _like_ me, Alfred. Millie isn't. She'll never be. Not as long as I breathe."

Alfred sighed, looking down at the tray in his hands.

"Alfred, I need you to understand. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a father figure…"

"Oh no, I understand sir. Because I was once in your seat. I was once the one to take care of a lost child who wanted nothing but to find out the truth. And I saw the potential, but didn't want him to get hurt so I tried to stop him. Yet, in the end, I couldn't. No matter how much I loved and protected him, he ended up doing what he wanted. He ended up becoming the Batman."

Bruce stared at Alfred. He felt things, but he could not determine what. So he stayed silent.

"Just, don't dismiss my words, sir. I have full faith in you and whatever your decision is, I will support you, but… please, remember that you're not the only one that loves that little girl. Remember that this plan of yours, is going to backfire one way or another. It's _not_ fool-proof. And if she sees Elaine and then finds out you knew all along…"

"She won't find out. And if she does, I'll simply have to take the consequences."

"Very well sir," replied Alfred simply, sighing at the now cold tea on his tray. "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Bruce and Selina watched as Alfred left silently. Bruce could feel her eyes on him, though he avoided looking at her. Instead, he turned towards the bat computer, staring at the blank screen.

"Those were some powerful words…" she said quietly. "Maybe she doesn't even want to do what you do. Have you ever thought of that?"

"You mean that she won't jump at the chance to come out there with me, with Batman, the moment she realizes her sister is alive and works for the Penguin's crew?"

"Yeah, I hear it now," sighed Selina. "But Alfred wasn't wrong. Anna _was_ strong. Elaine turned out strong. Millie might too."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But for now, all we have to focus on is getting Elaine and Cobblepot behind bars."

"And then I get to raid his place, right?"

Bruce smirked, "Right."

 **Dick**

Alfred entered the living room twenty minutes later, finding Millie and Dick on the couch. Millie was fast asleep, curled up in Dick's arms whom, at first, had been smiling, looking down at Millie as she slept there close to him.

When someone is sleeping, they are in their most vulnerable state; unaware of their surroundings and weak to anyone sneaking up to them with a knife. That was the very reason for why Dick felt… honoured… loved… or maybe proud of the fact that Millie trusted him so much that she felt comfortable sleeping near him.

Perhaps it was strange to think like that. And perhaps it was assuming too much. After all, she had just minutes ago been high on morphine, and Dick knew – unfortunately out of experience – how drowsy one became after a high of morphine. He had had his fair shares of wounds over the years as Robin the boy wonder, and therefore he had also had his fair share of morphine shots.

Alfred rounded the couch, and Dick forced himself to stop smiling.

"She, uh, fell asleep," explained Dick awkwardly, earning a look from Alfred.

"I can see that," replied Alfred. He placed the tray of tea on the coffee table in front of them, looking at the two youngsters for a while, his hands clasped together behind his back. "Well, I'm sure you can handle her, Master Grayson."

"Wh- Alfred?" stammered Dick as Alfred quickly left, Millie still curled against his chest, not even having heard anything. Hesitant to wake her up, Dick moved his hands to her shoulders, whispering 'Millie' as he did. "Wake up. Your tea's here."

She groaned, instead moving even closer against his chest, if that was even possible. He sighed, surrendering and just letting her sleep it off for now.

Two hours later, Dick was still sitting there with Millie sleeping against him. Her tea was definitely cold by now, and the evening was drawing to an end, night-time starting outside. Footsteps were heard out in the hallway, walking past the door before tracking back and entering the room.

Bruce appeared in Dick's line of sight, and although Bruce was not smiling, Dick could see the amusement in his eyes, "How long?"

"Two hours…"

"Morphine'll do that to you. Come, let me take her up to her room," said Bruce.

Dick hesitated, which Bruce noticed. He narrowed his eyes at the young man and Dick blushed, clearing his throat as he said, "I just don't want to wake her up."

"You want to stay here all night then? I thought you had a date with Barbara…"

"Oh shit." Dick tensed up, accidentally moving too much and waking Millie up in the process. Bruce chuckled, though Dick was not that amused. He had indeed promised Barbara they would have a date-night that evening, and so far, Dick had not even called her to say he was picking her up.

Barbara would indeed kill him.

 **Bruce**

"What… Oh, I fell asleep," mumbled Millie as she rubbed her eyes. Dick gently squirmed away from Millie, making an excuse that he needed to call Barbara before he ran off. Millie, however, was too drugged to care.

"Let's get you to your room," said Bruce softly, making Millie hum in agreement. Though Bruce didn't move. Millie glanced up at him, a wondering look in her eyes that he replied to with a sigh. "I've been thinking." He sat down on the couch next to her. "You've got my last name."

"You didn't know that already?" asked Millie in a joking matter.

"I've never really thought about this part of my life… I've made arrangements for the other parts of my life, but not this one." Bruce glanced at Millie, seeing her being too drugged to even care about what he meant by 'other part' of his life. "You see, the company will probably fall in the hands of someone I don't know – or the board – when I die. Who knows what they'll do with it."

"Probably," said Millie, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's only fair that someone with the Wayne name takes it over when that day comes. Maybe it's obvious… but I wanted to ask you anyway. You know, uh, if you want to take it over after me."

For a moment, Millie's eyes cleared up, her drowsy state disappearing for a few seconds as she said, "Taking the name Wayne comes with responsibilities. Of course I'll take your place when the time comes. Don't be silly…"

She blinked a few times before her drowsy state returned. Bruce realized something, shaking his head before letting out a low chuckle, "Will you even remember this tomorrow?"

"Remember what?" slurred Millie.

"Alright, I'll ask again someday when you're sober. For now, let's get you to bed."

Though he still didn't move to lift her up or help her up.

Millie smiled, leaning her head against his upper arm, "You know? I couldn't have wished for a better dad…"

Bruce cringed, furrowing his eyebrows together at the complete and utter pain in his chest at those words.

What sort of dad lied so much to his daughter? What sort of dad plotted plans about his own daughter without telling her?

 _The kind of dad he had to be_ , he thought to himself. _The kind of dad Bruce Wayne aka Batman needed to be._

He glanced down at Millie, who had already fallen asleep. Someday this would all come raining down on him; all the lies would be exposed, all the plotting would be exposed, and he would lose Millie. He knew he needed to enjoy her presence now.

Now that he still could.


	24. 23, Christmas Party

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **23.**

* * *

 **Millie**

She groaned, flopping down on the sofa with her face first, burying her face in the pillows.

"Now, Miss Millie, I can't have you backing out now." Alfred's voice was stern. "Master Bruce expects you to go, and so it shall be."

"bu… uve uuuz ad a eiee-orr worrr aye…"

"Pardon?"

Millie turned her head to the side to glare over at Alfred, "But I've just had an eight-hour work day! I'm exhausted…"

"Then maybe you should have thought about not taking that shift and let someone else do it instead. Now, come on, you have a dress to put on." Millie's stomach growled loudly as she sat up. "And I'll make you a sandwich."

"Thanks…" grumbled Millie as she shuffled over to the stairs.

Taking the first step, Millie let out an exhausted moan and turned back to the couch to procrastinate from putting on the dress. Much to Millie's surprise, Alfred had heard her and shouted from the kitchen; " **Now**!" She straightened up, glancing around to see if there were any hidden microphones, before heading up the staircase.

Just like Alfred had said, a beautiful dress was laid out for her there on her bed. Although it looked like it was two pieces, a shirt and a long skirt, the two pieces were sewed together and made up the dress Millie knew she would wear again at some point. The top was a low cut, black shirt with sleeves that ended just below her elbows. The skirt was a high waisted, red and flowy one. The front was cut higher up than the back, revealing only the front of her legs all the way up to right above her knee. Due to the snowfall outside and the cold winds, she decided to pair the dress up with some black tights, adding a pair of black heels as well.

As accessory, she added the pearl necklace she owned, along with a pair of pearl earrings. Without much of a fuss, she put up her hair in what Dick called a 'bunny-tail', before adding some glittery hair slides to make it look fancy enough for the rich people that were going to attend the charity party. Putting on a thin layer of primer, foundation, highlighter and a thick layer of red lipstick, Millie was good to go. All she needed to still do when Alfred entered the room with a sandwich for her, was add some glitter to her eyes to act as eyeshadow.

"What do you think?" she asked, twirling around in front of Alfred.

"Fabulous, Miss Millie," replied Alfred with a smile. "Don't spill anything on the dress."

"I'll wear a bib," joked Millie.

"Who'll wear a bib?" Dick's voice came from the other side of the door, and Alfred took his leave then, leaving the door open for Dick to enter.

He stopped in the doorway, staring at her for a while with those magnetic, blue eyes of his.

"That's… just… wow…"

"It's not even that fancy of a dress… thank God for that by the way! Those are so not comfortable to wear an entire night."

Dick was already wearing his suit, a new black one with a red tie. His hair was combed neatly, some recently added hair gel still glittering in the light as she watched him. She smiled at his attire, noticing how one of his shirt's buttons was barely closing over his muscular chest.

Though her smile faded when Dick sat down on her bed and ate her sandwich.

"Hey!"

"What?" he asked over a mouthful of sandwich. "Was this yours?"

"Oh no, it was Bruce's. That's why it was stood here in _my_ bedroom."

Dick chuckled, swallowing another bite before replying, "I see you're tired."

"Huh?"

"You get sassy when you're tired."

"Great… That's what I need right now. Sass right when we're about to converse with a bunch of rich, dull people all night long… 'Oh, the golfing was lovely my dear' 'Did you not know the stock had gone down?' 'Oh, why yes, I do stay faithful to my rich husband even though I come from a poor family and I have no work'…" Millie ended her rant with a gag.

Dick just laughed at her, finishing her sandwich right as Bruce entered.

"You guys ready?"

"Yeah," said Dick and Millie synchronized.

"First, I want to speak to Millie alone."

Dick left, giving Millie one last look of 'oh shit!' as though she had done something wrong, to which she giggled before the door closed, leaving her and Bruce alone.

"Sit." Millie complied, although the request was rather odd. Bruce joined her, staring down at his feet. He too was wearing something similar to what Dick was wearing, only his tie was a beige colour instead of a red one.

"Before we go to this event, I want to just… I just want to…" He sighed, and Millie kept watching him, staying quiet and patiently waiting for him to continue. "I guess what I want to tell you is that I am… _proud_ of you."

Millie blinked a couple of times before a soft smile graced her lips. "You've never complimented me before."

Bruce glanced at her once before letting out a breath of air, "I'm not that talkative."

Millie giggled, "You don't say."

"Because I'm proud of you, I want to ask something of you."

"Okay…?"

"At some point, I'm not going to be around anymore."

"Bruce," she chuckled, "you're not that old yet. What, thirty? Forty?"

She furrowed her brow as she realized she actually did not know his age. He had had a birthday not too long ago, but there was no cake filled with candles, or cream spelling out the number of his age.

She made a mental note to ask Alfred about this.

"I mean, it's going to happen. One never knows these days… Either way, when I do go, I want you to know that the company is yours."

She stared at him, unsure of what to reply.

"It belongs to those with the name of Wayne. And that's you. Always. No matter what."

"Bruce…" she breathed, placing a hand on his arm. "You sound as though you know something bad is going to happen."

"It might at some point," he said, staring over at her. "And when it does, I want you to remember this moment. Because I want you to know, that you're my little girl. And since the day I've met you, I've only ever done things to protect you."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Please, promise me you'll remember?"

Millie nodded her head, a serious look on her face. He turned towards her fully, grabbing her face in-between his hands and staring down at her.

"So proud…" he said quietly before standing up and walking over to the door, he opened it to reveal Dick still waiting for them.

"Uh, Da'?"

Bruce paused. Froze. He still did that each time she called him dad. Dick knew that, and a wide smile appeared on his face as he could see Bruce's reaction, but Millie could not.

"Can I still pursue my dream of becoming a singer, even though I might own the company at some point?"

Bruce turned his head to look at her, his eyes so emotional Millie was afraid he might burst. "You can do whatever you want with your life."

She smiled and Bruce left. Dick quickly hurried over to her, "What just happened?" he whispered.

"He just… complimented me…"

"WHAT?!"

"Sssch…" giggled Millie. "He did. It was quite scary actually…"

"Him complimenting you? I bet…"

"No!" she giggled. "Not _that_. The other things he said. He sounded as though, at some point soon, he would, like… die. Or maybe I would find something out that would make me leave… I don't know. It was weird."

Dick stayed quiet for a while before Dick linked his arm with Millie's, lifting the mood again.

"Shall we?"

Millie smiled as he led them to the staircase.

"Is Barbara not coming?"

"No… we, uh, we're taking a break now that college applications have started and stuff…"

Millie didn't reply. That was no real reason to take a break in a relationship. She wondered what was going on between them.

* * *

Flashes. Shouts. Tugs. Questions.

That was all Millie took in on her way from the limousine to the actual charity event. Dick was beside her, their arms linked tightly so as to not lose each other in the crowd of journalists that swarmed outside of the building.

As usual, the big Christmas party was held in a large, fancy building owned by Wayne Enterprises. The hall where the actual food was served and where the people were all gathering to talk and connect with each other was bigger than the ball room in Wayne Manor (which says a lot about the size of the room), with a large chandelier hanging over the guests to light up the room.

Bruce, Millie and Dick were the last to arrive, even though this was Bruce's event. He enjoyed making a scene, and when the three of them entered the room and the doors closed behind them, the buzzing of the journalist-swarm outside was shut out and replaced by a soft murmuring of voices and beautiful, calm Holiday music being played in the centre of the room, right underneath of the large chandelier by a string orchestra.

Butlers, though not Alfred as he supervised everything that night, walked around with trays filled with drinks or small pieces of food. And upon their entrance, everyone turned and applauded Bruce Wayne. A woman walked over to Bruce which Millie recognized as Selina Kyle, the two linking their arms as she gave off a fake giggle at the attention.

Bruce raised a hand at the guests, who quieted down, still staring at him.

"Thank you all for coming," he announced, Millie and Dick staying in the back, their arms still linked. "It is a pleasure to be doing this each year." Lies. "And the money we raise this year will be, as always, given to orphanages around Gotham so they can use them for presents and gifts during these festivities."

Millie furrowed her brow. Sure, the money was given to orphanages, but from what she could remember, that money was never used to give the children presents.

"Of course, I'm not just talking about Christmas." Another wave of applauds from the people, to which Bruce raised his hand once more, smiling and thanking them. "I'm thinking about all the holidays that any child here in Gotham wants to celebrate. Whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or any of the other holidays that I can't recall right now. This evening is for all of them. For all children in Gotham. So please, enjoy! And eat as much as you can because I don't want any leftovers!" A few people laughed before the murmuring continued and everyone went back to their previous conversations.

The party had started.


	25. 24, Christmas Party Crash 1

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **24.**

* * *

 **Millie**

Bruce and Selina walked away, leaving Dick and Millie on their own. They were still stood by the door, staring at the back of Bruce as he disappeared into the crowd.

"He just left us…" whispered Millie, tightening her hold on Dick's arm. "Left us here with all the rich stuck up people…"

"Shit…" whispered Dick. "I don't wanna talk to them."

"We gotta make it look like we're busy doing something else. Quick, pretend to be walking to someone."

And the two began to walk, still holding a tight grip on each other's arms as they waltzed through the crowd of the charity event. They smiled at rich people they did not know who greeted them, and each time someone tried to start a conversation with either of them, they excused themselves immediately, pretending they had just been called over by someone else.

Though they couldn't continue doing that the entire night, and soon, the two got stuck talking to the mayor and his friends, whom they obviously had not been able to ditch. A couple of old women grabbed Dick from Millie. She had wanted to come with him, but the Mayor kept talking to her and she had not been able to politely walk away from him, and so, the two got separated.

"Well, miss Wayne, enough about me and my boring politics." Millie laughed along with the mayor, trying her best to let out a real laugh. "What about you, huh? Any plans to follow your father's footsteps?"

Someone tapped the mayor's shoulder before Millie had to muster up an answer. The man turned his back towards Millie, and she saw her escape, not hesitating to take it. In one go she jumped away from the mayor and entered the crowd, dodging a few butlers she almost walked into as they balanced their trays filled with drinks dangerously on the tips of their fingers. She searched for anyone who could her anchor; Dick or Bruce. Even Selina would be a nice change from all the rich people pretending to know her. The amount of times someone had asked her whether or not she was going to start working for her father was beginning to annoy her. And it especially annoyed her when those very people seemed to think her idea of starting a musical career was a bad idea.

She finally bumped into someone she knew about an hour or two later. It had been Selina Kyle in her gorgeous golden dress, and she had smirked down at her.

"Enjoying this shit?" she asked, taking a sip from her glass of champagne. "'Cause I don't. I could be doing so much more interesting stuff right now. I mean, look at all these rich people who _aren't home_? I could be… well, I could be having a lot of fun."

Millie just stared at her, wondering if she actually meant what Millie thought she meant.

"You know, if you're tired of these people, you can always slip away."

"How?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope.

"There's a back-room that leads to the rest of this building. The butlers don't use it. It even has a balcony, so you can get some fresh air," smiled Selina.

"Where?"

"Over there," replied Selina, pointing over to a door on the other side of the room.

With a knowing smirk, Selina watched Millie as she began to plough through the crowd of rich people, before the cat turned her head around to search for the other young one.

* * *

For at least five minutes, Millie had complete peace. She was on her own, on the balcony, breathing fresh air (as fresh as it got in a city like Gotham). Each breeze that blew her hair away from her face felt like a breath of freedom, and she did not want to go back to the party 'till it was over.

The door behind her opened then, and she thought her freedom was over. Though when she turned around and saw Dick walk over to the balcony, she just smiled. With Dick nearby, Millie was never trapped.

"My God…" he breathed, joining her by the railing. "They're vultures."

"What happened to you?" she giggled.

"Those ladies, it's like they've never seen a man before."

"I think you mean, they've never seen a _handsome_ man before," she corrected before blushing and looking away, hoping Dick didn't take it the way she had actually meant it.

He laughed, leaning his elbows on the railing. Her heart lightened, thinking she had gotten away with it.

"What, you think me handsome?"

 _Damn it._

"Oh, please," she joked, trying to lighten the mood again. "Who doesn't? Have you not noticed that whenever there's a social gathering, or whenever you enter a classroom, every woman's head turns? And then some of the men's?"

"Of course I have," he joked. "I _have_ eyes."

"Hilarious."

"But I don't really care what other people think. I, uh, just care what you think."

Millie quickly cleared her throat, "And Barbara."

Dick pouted, staring down at the ground a few floors down. A gush of wind blew past them, seeming to also blow away the nice atmosphere around them. Millie cursed herself for opening her mouth in the first place.

"Yeah, I don't – I don't think she cares much anymore. Well, she cares, but she, uh, isn't that happy with me."

"I'm sorry," whispered Millie carefully.

He only nodded his head, "Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me."

Millie raised her eyebrows, giving him an incredulous look, "You're joking, right?"

"Look at me," he said, turning fully towards her. "Bruce's never told me he's proud of me, and you would be surprised of the things I've done for him. And whatever girl I do find, she never stays with me for that long – "

"Don't you dare hate yourself." Millie's firm voice caused him to shut up, staring at her. "Out of all the people in Gotham, you don't _get_ to hate yourself. You're the kindest person I know. You're charismatic enough to have friends, you're electric enough to make girls and boys _want_ you, and you don't have a fucked up life like I do.

"Literally everyone you meet instantly likes you. _And_ you're funny… Yeah, maybe you're a bit cocky and maybe you sometimes use humour to not have to talk about whatever darkness there is, but… God dammit, Dick, you're more perfect than anyone out there."

"Gosh…" he breathed, turning back to the railing to lean on it again. A silence fell over them, though it did not feel heavy or awkward. Instead, it was a silence Millie knew would end. After her little speech, Dick had to say something more, after all. So, she let the silence be, knowing he was thinking of what to reply. "If that's the way you see me, then I don't deserve you in my life. Everything I do every day is just to please Bruce."

"What?"

"It's weird, and stupid, I know. He's not even my father. But he took me in. I feel this stupid responsibility to be what son he might never have, and it's a big burden."

"One you don't need to have resting on you," replied Millie softly. Dick looked over at her, and their eyes locked. For the first time, Millie noticed that this happy go lucky charm he always seemed to have was not there, that it perhaps was a way for him to cope or a way for him to not face reality. It tugged at her heart to know that he was currently feeling so bad about something. "Bruce is just Bruce. If anyone, I should be the one with that burden. I'm the one he wants to take over his life when he dies."

"Yeah…" Dick sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. "But there's more. And that _more_ is what he wants me to take over when he dies. But honestly, I don't see how I can if all I ever do is stand in his shadow while he does his thing and _keeps_ things from me… I don't even know if I want that _more_ …"

Millie stared at him, "What, his secret criminal-life?" She tried to joke, but really she was rather worried about what he meant.

Suddenly, his fingers grasped her chin, gently turning her face to look him in the eyes once more. Without having noticed it, Dick had moved in closer, his face inches away from hers. She felt that electricity now, that magnetism that Dick had around him. His features softened when she looked at him, almost making his face light up, everything else around him disappearing. He was perfection to her, and nothing else, nobody else, would ever be able to measure with him.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, when something disturbed the moment.

A loud crash.

It came from the party and only seconds later, screams could be heard coming from inside. Dick and Millie moved away from the balcony and towards the small storage room. Though when they tried the doorknob, they realized the door was locked.

"What!?" exclaimed Millie as Dick kept trying to push the door open, putting his shoulder into it.

"Maybe it's one of those doors that locks itself when you enter or something…"

"It didn't lock when I entered 'cause you could get in here after me," countered Millie, her cheeks flushing as her heart sped up with worry and fear. Another crash was heard. It sounded like glass shattering into a million pieces. "What is going on!?"

"Okay, okay…" breathed Dick, stepping away from the door. "We gotta figure this out."

"Do we even want to get in there?" asked Millie quietly. "We don't know what's happening there."

The thick, ticking sound of gunshots was heard then, and Dick pushed Millie down to the floor, the two sitting there, crouched, right in front of each other. Their faces were once more inches away from each other and a few seconds passed as they just stared at each other. But this time it was not cute, warm and loving. This time, they were both thinking separately, wondering what to do now.

"There's people in there who need help…" Dick worded what he was thinking out loud.

"But what can we do?" Millie's thoughts were so different from his… she could not help but admire him even more for keeping his cool and thinking only of other people while in such a situation.

"Even the most ordinary of people can do great things, Millie," he whispered, placing a soft hand against her cheek. "You don't need a cape and a mask to be a hero."


	26. 25, Christmas Party Crash 2

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **25.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

"The Cat's given us the all-clear, boss," announced Mark with a smirk.

"Well then, let's start," replied Elaine, looking over at Oswald who smirked as well.

The three of them stood on the second floor, on catwalks overlooking the party, where the guards – who were all part of Penguin's crew unbeknownst to Bruce Wayne – were stood to keep an eye on the ongoing party below. In his hand, Oswald held a large knife and, with a sick smile, he cut off the one wire that held up the large chandelier above the party. The musicians below them were crushed underneath the large piece of glass and lightbulbs. A crash and a sickening crunch was heard, the music coming to an end. The rich, partying people all around screamed and retaliated away from the broken glass and bloody, crushed musicians.

Elaine and Mark laughed while Oswald stayed cool, beginning to waddle over to the staircase. Pete and his gang had scared off the journalists outside and were currently holding the doors closed, making sure no rich people could flee.

"NOBODY MOVES!" shouted the thugs on the balcony above, shooting a few rounds of bullets down towards the guests to calm down the motion there.

The scared guests all crouched down, staying in place after the sound of empty rounds hitting the floor stopped echoing around the hall.

Oswald walked over to the centre of the party, his feet crushing some of the glass there. It was a bloody mess in the centre. Someone who had not completely died moaned in agony. On his way, he smirked down at the scared people he passed by. Elaine followed her boss, while Mark followed his.

"Miss Wayne?" Elaine froze, looking over at the butler who had said this. He was still holding a tray of champagne glasses, which shook as Elaine sprinted over to him. She placed her face inches away from his, taking out her dagger.

"Wrong…" she whispered before pushing her dagger against his throat, cutting through flesh, nerves and veins. Some nearby rich people gasped and screamed. As the butler fell backwards, Elaine grabbed a glass of champagne before it fell to the floor, drinking it up in one go before throwing it to the floor.

With a now bloody hand and dagger, Elaine walked over to Oswald and Mark at the centre, placing herself in front of the chandelier. She smirked down at the rich people there.

"Good evening everyone! I hope we didn't disturb what fine party was going on here," smirked Oswald, earning a giggle from Elaine. "But, I'm afraid our invitation got lost in the mail! I mean, every single rich douchebag is here, right? And, my family used to be equally as important as the Waynes! So, where's my invitation!?"

"We don't invite monsters!"

The mayor had stood up, a dumb confidence visible on his face. The three of them turned their eyes to him, and Elaine smirked.

"Monsters?" she asked. "Well… At least we know who we are. You lot are defined by your money, not your personality or your freedom. It's been truly pathetic watching you lot waltz around here, bragging about your possessions and smiling like rightful bastards."

"I'm not the pathetic one here, because I don't need to kill and scare people to gain power in Gotham," retaliated the mayor.

Elaine glanced back at Oswald, who nodded his head at her to proceed.

"No," she replied to the mayor, beginning to walk forwards, " _you're_ the pathetic one because all you need is money. Not an education. With money you can have a good campaign and make your name known in Gotham. And then when you win, you keep some of the promises you made during your expensive campaign to please everyone before you use your control to make you fake, rich lot the norm in society!"

Silence followed her speech, and Oswald clapped his hands, "What a beauty! What a thing to be proud of." He walked over to her, placing an arm around her shoulders, "Don't you think, Mister Mayor?"

"Miss Wayne is-"

Oswald and Mark let out loud laughs at his words, everyone in the room becoming rather confused.

"Miss Wayne?" asked Oswald in between laughs before he turned completely serious again. "This one's not a Wayne."

"Elaine, at your service," she joked, bowing low before the rich people as though they were applauding her.

Murmurs were heard all around. Their plan had succeeded. Oswald leaned in towards Elaine's ear, "You've got five more minutes. Make an impression on them."

Penguin retreated back to the centre of the room, almost slipping in the blood there. Mark retreated as well after Elaine had gestured for him to go away. Mark was too serious for this part, Elaine knew this.

An impression… What was the best way to make everyone think she was a true nut-job?

Smirking over at the mayor, she sheathed her dagger. Beginning to hum her sweet nursery rhyme, she grabbed his hands and forced him to dance with her. A few of the other thugs began terrorizing the guests, scaring them and stealing the food the butlers were carrying on trays.

"You're not relaxed, mister mayor. That's not how you dance," mocked Elaine, forcing him to place a hand on her waist. "The man's supposed to guide the woman… Ah, I suppose I'll just have to do it."

"What are you gaining from this? Huh? This is charity event for Christ's sake."

Cocking her head to the side, she smiled at him, "Well, what else but some _fun_?"

 _Oh, if the Joker could see me now_ , thought Elaine to herself.

"You're a **freak**." Elaine laughed at his comment, enjoying the fact that the mayor, albeit he looked confident and not scared, was still scared enough to allow Elaine to drag him around the dance floor. Grabbing his chin, she forced his face down to her level, a serious expression on her face.

"You don't even know the half of it," she whispered. The mayor began to fight her hold on him, and to finish it off, she pressed a kiss to his lips before pushing him away from her. He fell over before quickly crawling away from her.

The sound of a door slamming open somewhere caused all the attention to turn from Elaine and the others, to Dick and Millie as they stumbled inside. Their eyes widened at the sight of the chandelier, the bloodbath, Oswald and Elaine. The Grayson boy glanced back and forth between Millie and Elaine, seemingly astounded by the way they looked identical to each other.

There was an initial shock that coursed through Elaine's body. Yes, she had expected Millie to be there, but actually seeing Millie in real life again was… strange. Her chest tightened up, emotions flaring up; mostly hatred. That dress looked like it cost more than Oswald's nightclub spent on booze. Her face was painted with expensive make-up and she had bigger curves from all the food her _butler_ made for her.

The dagger burned in her pocket. She badly wanted to walk over to Millie and just end it right there…

But she could not.

Bruce Wayne, a face everyone recognized, ran over to Millie, looking completely flustered and… annoyed even. He put his arms around Millie, seemingly turning her away from Elaine.

Elaine smirked, returning to the act, and blew her sister a kiss.

"Hi sis…"

Murmurs and whispers could be heard coming from the guests, everyone shocked about what Elaine had just said. Millie struggled to free herself from Bruce's arms, and once she did, she could only stare. Elaine rolled her eyes at this.

And then, as their eyes locked, Elaine's smirk disappeared. There was a tug and a pull from inside of her chest not caused by any emotions. It was painful at the same time that it felt right. Though what it was, Elaine was unsure of. From the way Millie subconsciously placed a hand against her chest, she figured her sister felt the same thing.

That was a new thing.

"Come on, boys!" ordered Oswald. "This is enough, I think."

The mayor stared at Elaine as she followed Oswald towards the front door. Pete opened it up for them and together, the group of thugs exited the building, free to leave without the Bat showing up. Some brave journalists had stayed put on the other side of the road, and their cameras flashed as Elaine, Oswald and Mark, followed by the rest of the crew, walked out of the building. A few vans suddenly pulled up, and all of them climbed in before rushing off. Police sirens could be heard seconds after they had left, and in the vans, Mark and Pete cheered loudly at the successful mission.

"You did well, kid," praised Oswald where he was seated opposite of her.

They were both quiet, not joining in on the cheering. Elaine figured it was because he was the boss and needed to keep up appearances that he was above them, though there was more there in his eyes.

"She…"

"She was there, yes. Just like the Cat had told us."

"And she saw me… She looked like she'd seen a ghost," whispered Elaine before a harsh look appeared on her face, "If she had looked for me, she wouldn't have been so shocked."

"Are you ready for stage two?"

"Yes," smiled Elaine.


	27. 26, Bye Relationships

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **26.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

"YOU PROMISED ME!"

His shout echoed against the walls of the Batcave. Selina curled up on her seat, staring up at Bruce with remorseful eyes. However, Bruce was having none of it. He was furious and could not in his current state even begin to understand Selina was in fact trying to apologize, nor could he begin to understand her point of view of the matter at hand. The plan had been simple enough, and she had not fulfilled her part as she once more thought only of herself.

"You said they wouldn't get out of there-"

"I locked the door-" she tried to defend herself, but Bruce let out an annoyed grunt.

"But you knew Dick would get out through a locked door, he's _Robin_. And my suit, where was it?"

Selina stayed quiet, though her remorseful eyes changed into annoyed ones. Bruce knew it was because he was not listening at her, but through the wall of anger inside of his mind, he could not stop himself to indeed listen to her. Instead, Bruce grabbed a nearby chair and threw it across the cave, glaring daggers at Selina.

"I'm telling you, Bruce. There'll be a better time-"

"Which side are you on, Selina!? Because right now, it seems like you're on _their_ side."

"I needed to make sure they trusted me!" Selina had stood up by now, daringly facing Bruce's anger and glaring right back at him.

"Her life is going to be ruined because of this, Selina! Rumours are going to spread, _and she knows!_ "

"Oh come on, you really think you were going to keep this a secret her entire life? I basically did you a favour!"

"Get out."

"Bruce-"

"GET OUT."

"Whatever." With a scoff, Selina walked away, exiting the cave via one of the exits that took her to the garden.

Bruce walked over to the computer, its screen showing multiple newsfeeds and articles about what had happened last night at the charity party. Some guests had filmed Elaine's dance with the mayor. Some had filmed the chandelier falling…

But mainly the newsfeeds were all about Millie and Elaine. Rumours were already spreading that Millie and Elaine were both working for the Penguin and that that was how they had gotten through Bruce's otherwise always airtight security. Little did they know…

Bruce and Selina's plan had been to get the Batman to intervene, so Elaine and Oswald could get caught before the big reveal. If she had been caught, people would understand that it was over and that nobody had rigged it so they could get away. But his suit was not there. In fact, Selina had never even moved it and now, Millie was being associated with the Penguin, and people were blaming her for everything. They always needed someone to blame. That was how people worked.

"Sir…" Alfred's voice softly spoke from behind Bruce.

"You were right, Alfred…"

"If it had worked, and you had caught Elaine and the Penguin, things would be different. Elaine and Oswald would be in jail and people would not lash out because of their fear. But, it wasn't fool-proof."

"It would have been had my suit been where it was supposed to be."

"She never moved it," deduced Alfred with a sigh. "Why?"

"She says it was because she wanted to make them trust her. Apparently _she_ had a plan of her own."

"Maybe she knows something," tried Alfred.

"I don't care anymore. Because right now, Millie's my only concern."

"She's upstairs with Master Grayson. She's not doing well, sir. Perhaps you should speak to her."

"What can I say? This is my fault, Alfred."

"Sir, she doesn't know that-"

"Just… give me some lone time, Alfred."

"As you wish, sir," added Alfred with a monotonous voice.

 **Millie**

"She was alive all this time…"

Dick shushed her, rubbing a hand over her back as she lay on her bed, her face turned away from him. What was left of her make-up from the previous evening itched on her face and she had red marks all over from where it was starting to irritate her skin. She was wearing her pyjamas, as she had been doing the past 24 hours. Her door had been locked for a long time, and once it had finally opened again, Dick had been the first to enter to try to talk to her.

"And I just forgot about her, let her stay there in that… dark _pit_ of society… without even searching for her…" A sob escaped her, rocking her entire body and Dick shushed her again. "I'm no better than what she's become…"

"Don't say that," he quietly spoke, shifting where he sat on the bed next to her. "It's not true. Because she didn't do this just to find you. She clearly did this to ruin your life. Now that she's out in the open, people will stop trusting you. This was her plan all along. And here you are, not caring about your reputation but crying because you thought she was dead… That's the difference between the two of you. She doesn't care, but you do."

"And I don't know why I care," said Millie quietly, finally turning her face towards him, looking up at him through tears. "She's mean. She hurt me."

"And she's still mean and she still hurts you."

"Maybe… Maybe if I talk to her, she'll stop," hiccupped Millie.

"Not everyone can change," whispered Dick.

Millie sat up, causing Dick to shift as well to give her some space, though they were still only inches away from each other.

"There's gotta be something I can do…"

"Maybe you should just let people like Robin or Batman do this for you…"

Millie glanced at him, staying silent. She couldn't just let someone else do this for her. This was her fault. She did not push things more when she was a child, she did not keep asking for Elaine… though she had not wanted to, and it was that very fact that was making her cry; it was that very fact that made this all her fault.

It was her fault Elaine was part of a gang.

Slowly, so as to give him time to move away from her, she embraced Dick and leaned her head on his shoulder. As he hugged her back, his arms holding her close to him and quickly lulling her to sleep, she made a promise to herself. A promise to fix what she had caused and find a way to offer Elaine, her _sister_ whether she wanted her to be or not, a new life.

But first, she would have to get to Elaine and that was not something she could just do as Millie Wayne. Though that was who she was… She saw no other way of changing identities suddenly to help her sister… Even if she could, who would she become?

Why would Elaine listen to her though; to Millie Wayne? After Elaine's words about rich people it was clear to Millie that approaching her as one of these rich people would not accomplish anything. Though she couldn't just change into another person… So, she'd need something; a leverage on her sister so she would listen to her.

And, Millie figured, there was only one thing Elaine and Millie had in common that they both wanted – their parents. If Millie could figure out that secret, find out who their parents were, she'd be able to give that information to Elaine to make her listen to Millie and maybe make Elaine trust her again. If she gained her sister's trust, she could make her listen to Millie's offer and together they could work on changing Elaine's ways…

Right?

 **Dick**

Millie fell asleep quickly in his arms, and carefully he placed her down on the bed, placing a blanket over her.

While Millie might think that this was all her fault, Dick had different thoughts. No, he did not think this was his fault. In fact, he had no blames at all… not yet, at least.

His mind was focused on Oswald Cobblepot. The man had _taken Elaine in_. It was… strange; out of character for him. There had to be a reason behind it. He had to get something out of it… but what?

He stood up and left Millie alone. With quick steps, Dick walked down to the Batcave where he found Bruce on his own, sulking.

"Why?"

Bruce didn't react.

"Why did Cobblepot take Elaine in…"

"Dick, let it go."

"No," shot Dick back with an incredulous tone. "This is a job for Robin and Batman, right? So, we're going to figure this out."

"Dick, _let it go_."

Realization hit him. "How did Batman miss this? Millie asked you to find Elaine, right? And the world's greatest detective couldn't?"

The way Bruce's jaw muscles jumped as he bit down on his jaw made Dick's heart sink.

"You knew about this?"

"I… Yes. Last night I wanted to get Elaine and Cobblepot in one go but things didn't go as planned."

"You didn't even let me in on the plan… All this time you've been training me to become like you, and then you leave me out– let me guess, you even had me locked up just so I wouldn't see it too?"

"We work alone. Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to protect those we love."

"What on Earth are you keeping from us that is so bad you can't even tell the one person who's got your back out there?" asked Dick quietly. He kept his anger contained, knowing it would not help.

Bruce looked over at Dick with a helpless look Dick had never seen before. It nearly made him step back, too shocked by the complete fear in Bruce's eyes to even want to be in the same room as him. The stone cold, fearless father figure Dick had come to know was not there in that room with him… it was nearly frightening how vulnerable this situation was making Bruce.

"I'm going to fix this," he promised quietly. "But I can't have you involved."

"You're keeping me in the dark. You're keeping me in your shadow. Bruce, listen to me, this is not how you should approach this whole thing," he pressed. "This is how you lose people. And I'm helping you, no matter what you say. That's why I get to wear the Robin suit, right? To help you."

"I don't want you helping me."

"Then WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

The anger exploded in one go, his fist connected with a nearby table and he glared over at Bruce. Bruce remained quiet, and Dick understood he was not going to talk to him when anger clouded his judgement. So, the young acrobat took a deep breath, calming his nerves just a tad while removing his fist from the now pretty messed up table.

"How am I supposed to know what you want from me when you, one day, expect me to take in a criminal on my own, and then the other day you say I _can't_ help you!?" continued Dick. "When you put your entire trust in me one day, and then leave me in the dark the next!? Are you afraid I'm going to leave if you trust me? Because what you're doing now is just smothering me, Bruce. I can't have that. I won't have that. I'm better than you think I am, whatever you're keeping from us, I can handle."

Another small explosion of anger reverberated through Dick when Bruce stayed silent once more. Though Dick stayed quiet this time, only showing the anger via a frown on his face.

"One day, you'll be walking in my shoes, and you'll have to make difficult choices too just so those you love can stay safe, and then you'll understand."

"Yeah, _right_ ," scoffed Dick, turning around and walking away.

"Dick," called Bruce, causing Dick to pause only briefly to listen to him. "The Riddler's made an appearance. I need you out there tonight."

Dick's hands curled into fists. Just changing the subject after such a delicate talk was typical of Bruce, especially when he did not want to talk about something. Instead of lashing out again, calling him out on what he was doing, Dick stayed quiet, simply walking away.


	28. 27, New Beginnings

**A/N: This is a long chapter, but it's sort of the end of part one. I was going to have this story divided into multiple parts but decided against it once I started publishing to make things easier for all of us.**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **27.**

* * *

 **Dick**

Moving from rooftop to rooftop, Robin the Boy Wonder was moving through Gotham on his way back to the Batcave. The Riddler had indeed made an appearance, as Bruce had told him, but there was something amiss. At first Dick had thought it had been his own fault, that his mind was too occupied with Millie who he knew he had left at home in bed and who he so desperately wanted to stay with to ensure she was alright.

But then he realized that the Riddler had actually just not finished his trap.

He had built a sort of death trap in the basement of an abandoned warehouse. Though none of the mechanics worked. A video had popped up on a display there of the Riddler laughing at Robin, telling him he was going to die. But when Robin entered the so-called death trap he was supposed to make his way through to save the hostage, there was neither power nor a hostage to save.

It was all strange and out of character for the Riddler; leaving something unfinished like that. It made Dick think he had left in a hurry for some reason… and whatever the reason was, it could not be good.

He knew that he was going to have to report this to Bruce the moment he got back, and he was not looking forward to facing that man again. He was still angry at Bruce, and deep down Dick knew he would never forget Bruce for this.

He felt a bit uneasy about that last particular feeling. Bruce had left him in the dark about many things before and it had never bothered him _this_ much then. Reluctantly, however, he told himself that it was not because Bruce had kept him in the dark, but because he had kept Millie in the dark and was still doing so. A voice told him that Bruce could hurt Dick as much as he wanted, but if he hurt Millie, things changed.

Dick sighed, stopping on a random rooftop. He felt his heart was weighed down by that thought, though it did not feel bad. His heart was weighed down because he was suddenly overcome by this powerful feeling. It was directed towards Millie, though he could not put his finger on what this feeling was. All he knew was that it was almost painful, but that it felt good as well.

He held his grappler in his hand, and pointed it towards the next rooftop again, but something caught his eye before he could move. A neon sign he had seen many times before but that only since last night meant something more to him than just the name of a club where a _lot_ of criminal activity happened.

The Iceberg Lounge.

He narrowed his eyes at the sign, turning his grappler towards the rooftop opposite of that nightclub instead. Swinging himself over, he crouched down and moved so he had a good view of the club. Shady looking people were entering and exiting. Two of Penguin's thugs were standing guard by the doors.

In an alley to the right of the club, Dick caught sight of something that he perhaps had been subconsciously looking for. He swung over to a nearby rooftop, glancing down. His heart sped up, seeing Elaine down there amongst the trashcans, making out with what looked like a random thug. He was pressing her up against the wall, though she kept making sure she was in full control, moving them so he was the one up against the wall.

They were partying in there; celebrating a victory. It made Dick narrow his eyes in annoyance.

Suddenly, Elaine froze. The thug looked at her strangely before she pushed him away from her and, without missing a beat, turned and glanced straight up at him.

"What do you want, _bird_?"

His heart sped up even more. What did he want? Something told him subconsciously that he had just wanted to get another look at the twin. Though exactly why… No, he knew why. Even if he felt a little bad admitting it, he was unsure of his feelings towards Millie. There was an attraction. But was it admiration as a sister? Admiration of her beauty? Or was it deeper and something he should pursue?

He dropped down in front of Elaine, who crossed her arms over her chest, "I scream and my boys will come and beat the crap out of you."

Robin remained quiet. Looking her over. She was equally as pretty as Millie in his eyes though looked a little thinner. From the way she swayed a bit, Dick realized she probably had had more liquid dinners than real dinners in her life, especially that particular day. But it did not make her any less pretty.

They looked the exact same apart from the weight. However, there was a streak of gold in Elaine's left eye that Millie did not have. It fascinated Dick a bit. But what fascinated him more was the fact that, when he looked at her, he remained… unbaffled. She was pretty, but so were many other random strangers Dick saw on the street.

"What the hell do you want!?" asked Elaine, throwing her hands up in the air before rolling her eyes. The movement of her eyes made her lose sight of Robin for just a second, and he took advantage of this, smirking as he grappled up towards the rooftop silently.

He glanced down from the shadows as Elaine saw he had disappeared. She turned around on the spot, trying her best to spot Robin again, but he had already disappeared.

He let out a chuckle before moving away, once more swinging from rooftop to rooftop.

No, it was not physical attraction he had for Millie. It was deeper. Was she a sister to him?

Dick smirked.

No, she wasn't.

 **Millie (three days later)**

"I've got to get out… I think it'll be good for me." Dick did not look persuaded, and he was still standing in front of her, blocking her way out of Wayne Manor. "It's just one shift. Dick, I've got to keep my job. It's my plan B."

He chuckled at her words, "You don't need a plan B. You're a Wayne. Bruce's office is your plan B."

She stuck her tongue out at him before letting out a sigh. Quite honestly, being social was exhausting her… Perhaps going to work was not the best idea after all, but she knew that all she needed to do was sort some books, maybe help a customer or two… she could do that, right?

Her phone buzzed, and she went to take it from her bag, "It's three hours. Afterwards I can go back to sulking about life but I need a break. It's exhausting."

Her boss was calling her.

"What is exhausting for you is doing anything but recover." Dick sighed as Millie held up a hand for him to quieten down. Quickly she pressed the green button and placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Miss Wayne."_ He sounded serious. Too serious. And as he continued to speak, her face fell into a monotone look. Dick tensed up, walking over to her, but she pressed a hand against his chest, stopping him from distracting her as she listened.

"But that's nothing I can he- No! That's outrageous! That's no reason to… But- He-Hello? Hello!?" She glanced at the screen, her shoulders sagging, "He hung up on me."

"What did he say?"

Millie looked up at Dick, sadness in her eyes, "He fired me. Because of Elaine."

Quickly, Dick embraced her, pressing her close to him. There were no sobs. No tears. Not anymore. Instead, Millie grabbed a hold of Dick's shirt, her face now no longer sad but determined.

Determined to make this all stop.

 **Millie (a week later)**

Dick was sitting squeezed up next to her, watching her with cautious eyes as she kept repeating the speech over and over again in her head, her mouth slowly mouthing the words to her speech as she did. Bruce was seated opposite of them, facing backwards while fixing the sleeve of his suit. Alfred was the one driving the three.

She knew her speech, well the speech someone from Wayne Enterprises had written for her, would be lying on stage in paper format for her to read from, but she knew she would not convince anyone if she just read her speech. She needed to convince people she truly meant those words.

"You'll be fine," said Dick quietly from next to her, causing her to glance over at him.

Carefully, as if he was afraid she would either lash out or that she would retract and hurt his feelings, Dick placed his hand on hers. It was only when Millie did not remove her hand from underneath of his that he dared to let his fingers intertwine with hers.

Her eyes kept staring down at their intertwined hands. She was confused as to what he meant by this gesture. Of course he and Barbara were still not a thing anymore, though it did not mean that the gesture wasn't innocent – right? Deep down she hoped the gesture meant more than just comfort even to Dick. Perhaps there was a new beginning now. Yet, even if he did mean something other than comfort, why would he dare to ever show it to her?

"There won't be that many people there anyway. Mostly cameras, so you won't notice that the entirety of Gotham is watching you," said Dick, trying his best to be reassuring even though it did not quite go as planned.

Millie simply hummed a yes, knowing he was right. Sure, she would know they were watching, but it would not feel like it when she was up there; she would not have to see their faces and wait for their reactions, she could be able to make up her own audience of people who were just as kind as Dick.

"But…"

Dick looked at her, Bruce too.

"What if all I'm saying is lies?"

A silence followed her words, but she avoided looking at either of the men in the car.

"Don't say that," urged Dick finally. "You're better than her."

"But I _am_ like her. You both know it. Just look at the explosions I've had in my life. With that girl… On my birthday… I have these… _feelings_."

"You control them," said Bruce. "She doesn't."

As it always was with anything Bruce said, his words were final. He remained staring at her for a while, his eyes piercing through her though not because he wanted to read her. Instead, it seemed as though he was trying to dig a hole through her cranium to pour the words into her brain so she could believe them. Perhaps it felt intimidating. But Millie was used to Bruce's intimidating act and was therefore just flattered he cared so much.

The limo stopped and Bruce immediately exited it, not even waiting for Alfred to open the door for him. Outside, the flashes of cameras could be seen and Millie leaned back in her seat for a couple of seconds, lingering to make sure she was ready. Dick stayed by her side, simply watching and patiently waiting for her, which she was grateful for. And when they exited the limo, seeing Alfred now holding the door open and Bruce already talking to some journalists, the two were still holding hands.

 **Elaine**

"We could always enter this way, while he enters here," suggested Elaine. "And turn off the cameras over here-"

"Ma'am!"

Mark, Pete, Elaine and Cobblepot turned around at the voice. Both bosses glared at the man who had interrupted their meeting, though neither of them did anything to stop him from talking, wanting to hear what had been so important.

"The Waynes… They're having a press conference."

Elaine straightened up, receiving glances from Mark and Pete while Oswald quickly wobbled over to the thick television placed in his office, turning the general news-channel on and indeed seeing Millie and that Grayson boy exiting a limo. The reporters kept switching between an interview with Bruce, and the sight of Millie and Grayson walking up towards said man. To see the beautiful figure of her twin sister in that beautiful dress she wore that fitted her figure perfectly, caused Elaine to clench her fists into balls, breathing out long breaths through her nose to stay as calm as she could.

 _"It is said that this statement will clear out all rumors and gossip that exist around the two twins and what is actually going on. But mostly, it will clear up Millie Wayne's name and show to the world who she really is. All of this, in Miss Wayne's very first statement ever made for Gotham to hear. Now, over to a previous interview with Police Commissioner Gordon on the two twins and his view of the matter at hand,"_ the reporter said, all the while showing clips of Millie, Bruce and Grayson as they walked through the crowd of reporters towards where the small stage in front of Wayne Enterprises was placed, and where the statement would be held.

"This is absurd," said Pete with a scoff. "What are they doing?"

"She's trying to get away from the scum of a twin that she has," stated Elaine simply, earning a look from Oswald.

"She's trying to lie her way to fortune. As all of the fortunate always do."

 **Millie**

Dick had to let go of her hand and it felt cold and fearful without him next to her as she walked up the steps to the podium. Cameras kept flashing, reporters took out notepads and cameras to film her statement – though Millie saw none of this. Her head was bowed and she kept her eyes away from the crowd beneath her. She knew that Alfred, Bruce and Dick were watching her from beneath the podium, standing ready to interfere if she failed, though she could not see them and the lack of visual was what scared her.

Silence ensued all around her and she finally looked up. Someone had placed her speech in front of, though as she read the first sentence in her head, she frowned at it. It did not describe her current situation, and it did not justify her away from Elaine in any way. That was what this speech was about. She needed to justify herself, otherwise she could not move on from this. And if she could not move on from this, she would not be able to continue with her secret plan to get Elaine on a better path in life.

Instead of using her speech, she looked over at the journalists who were all watching eagerly. She managed to see Vicky amongst them all, and the blonde lady who had dated her father a while back nodded her head in encouragement for her to begin to speak.

And so she did.

"People of Gotham… Fathers, mothers, daughters and sons of Gotham, I have come to stand here, before my father's life-work, to tell you all that I, Millie Wayne, am not who you think I am."

She could imagine the panic going through Bruce's mind as he heard her words. Perhaps he thought she was going to do something stupid, and perhaps he was already halfway up those steps to save her blunder, but she knew what she was doing and she was confident that the words coming from her heart would be a thousand times better than anything that someone who did not know her had written down for her to read. Her face was serious, never showing any emotion… a true Wayne.

"The papers have been telling lies. Not about who my blood is shared with, but of who my family is. I have seen headlines about 'Millie Wayne's real family' or 'Millie Cobblepot' followed by a giant question mark. But those headlines are wrong. Yes, I share my blood with a criminal because I share my blood with Elaine, my twin who has been seen causing mayhem with multiple other crime bosses here in Gotham – but I am not her. My family is not those crooks she hangs out with. My family… My family's name is stated up on this tower. My family's name can be found on a small memorial sign at Crime Alley. My family's name is _Wayne_ , and I will never, never, do anything that will let down what the name of Wayne stands for. Because I am not my sister."

Millie took a small pause, taking in the looks of the journalists who were all intrigued by her story, intrigued by her words. It was a power Millie had never thought she would experience, to be able to see them enjoy what she had to say, to see them _listen_ to her the way they did to her father; Bruce. For a moment, she controlled what the press would write. Such control was… intoxicating.

Strong emotions filled her, emotions she had never felt before. She pushed them down, knowing what those very emotions could make her do.

"I will fight for this company to continue to be what it is today after my father is gone. I will honor the name Wayne even though that blood does not flow through me. I will never… _never_ be like my biological sister…" she said before breathing out, "Because I am a _Wayne_. Thank you."

A hand grabbed her arm as the journalists all began to shoot questions at her. She looked over at the person to see it was Bruce, obviously not wanting her to answer any other questions. He gently coaxed her away from the podium, and she followed him. Once they were away from the podium, Bruce glanced down at her with a soft smile on his lips.

"You did well."

"Well enough for people to stop calling me out in the papers?" asked Millie quietly as they reunited with Alfred and Dick.

"They will never stop using it against you, but they surely won't dare to continue for a while now," said Bruce quietly.

It was not enough, but it was enough to make her feel slightly relieved. At least she wouldn't have to dread each morning paper and what headlines about her would be seen there. At least that was over. Now, all she had to do was re-build her life; rebuild her life as a Wayne….

And start on the secret mission she had promised herself she would go through to do what she should have done all those years ago; to save Elaine.


	29. 28, Elaine X Mark

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **28.**

* * *

 **Millie (a few months later)**

Millie was walking down the large stairs and into the entrance hall of Wayne Manor. She felt ready for some supper which she knew would be ready soon as Alfred was always punctual, when she heard Dick's voice from down the hall where the telephone was located. Normally, Millie would not have thought twice about it, if there had not been something in Dick's voice that had made her stop in her tracks. A certain sort of pleading and sadness that made her heart twinge.

Without making much noise, she made her way to the corner, pushing up against it so she could listen without him seeing her. The telephone was located on a small table stood underneath a large painting of unknown origin – an expensive painting. Next to the phone there was a notepad and a pen used only by Alfred if someone called for Bruce when he was out. A small lamp was situated there too. Though she could not see either of those things. All she could see were the large stairs she was facing. Her ears, however, picked up Dick's words.

"Barb… Please, this is insane. I don't even know what you're talking about! But that's not true, I would never – No! – We're friends, that's all. – She's like a sister to me. – What do you mean by that? – so? – No, that's insane – We _are_ friends! – Will you stop accusing me of things th- Barb, please – fine! If that's what you want, then, fine!"

A clink was heard, telling Millie that Dick had hung up the phone. She stayed as quiet as she could, barely daring to breathe. What she had overheard was obviously private – who knew how Dick would react to his privacy being intruded like that.

"I know you're there, you know."

Millie's eyes widened and she waited for a second, hoping that Dick had been talking to someone else but her. However, he did not continue talking to someone else and so, she revealed herself, turning the corner with her eyes cast down to the shiny marble floor in shame.

"Sorry I listened in…" she mumbled, looking up at Dick with large, pleading eyes. Though Dick did not look mad at all. Instead, he simply sighed.

"It wasn't as though I was trying to keep things quiet. I could've gone up to talk in my room if I hadn't wanted people to overhear at all," he said, shrugging.

"No, it **was** rude. I shouldn't have listened in… should've just kept walking," said Millie, raising her hands. Dick remained silent, watching her with eyes she could not read. The last thing she wanted now, now that things were finally (yes, a month later) starting to calm down after the latest scandal with her sister, was to have a fallout with Dick.

So, in fear that Dick would be mad at her, she began to ramble, "I… I heard despair in your voice and got worried so I thought I should check up on you and then I saw that you were talking on the phone and I was already here so I might as well stay and… it was a bad decision… and I'm sorry… but, I just didn't want to hear you being sad…" her rambling faded out, her eyes wide.

"Oh…" he said, his eyes staying glued on her. Under his stare, she suddenly felt rather uncomfortable, and began to shuffle about a bit on her feet. "We – We should go eat. Alfred should be done with dinner soon."

Millie coughed awkwardly, not quite sure where the tension was coming from though not really enjoying it.

"But first," she began, hindering Dick from walking past her. They locked eyes again and her stomach did a summersault, "Did Barbara think there was something going on between… us?"

Oh how she wanted this… So badly. But other than holding hands and some meaningful glances, there had been no more advances. Millie knew it was because Dick had feelings for Barbara as well, which she respected… but if Barbara had broken up with him… could she finally have a chance?

"She's been hinting at it for some time now… The papers aren't helping either," said Dick as he scratched the back of his head, causing confusion to raise in her eyes. "You haven't seen it? The headlines of last night were… well, they were about us. Apparently, some pictures were uncovered from the time you had your press conference, and we were holding hands."

"So?"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Dick with a relieved sigh. "We're family, we should be allowed to hold hands."

"Yeah," agreed Millie with a slightly pained heart, "I mean if I do this, there shouldn't be anything weird about it."

Without hesitating, she grabbed his hand and shifted so she was standing next to him. Richard suddenly stiffened, standing completely still and barely even grabbing her hand back. She looked up at his face with questioning eyes, wondering what was wrong. Yes, her heart was fluttering like mad and she got warm and cozy and – but they were nothing more but friends, family… family that loved each other, a lot. Millie felt more, but knew it would never happen…

"Right? Nothing weird about it at all…" she said, squeezing his hand though not getting a response back.

Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, his blue eyes piercing hers. The tension between them rose all the way up to the ceiling and soon, the longer they were staring into each other's eyes, Millie could feel as though she might fly up to the ceiling too. His eyes were so beautiful, so **intense**. And the contrast between his eyes and his raven black hair along with the kindness and the completely sexy personality that she knew Dick had simply made him even more attractive. At one point, she could see him leaning towards her, though she might have been imagining things. He would never… He didn't…

"Right?" she asked, her voice barely working anymore as her heart beat so fast, her breathing escalating. Her hand was sweaty by now, though he did not notice as he had removed his hand from hers.

 _The moment was ruined._

He finally looked away, "Maybe not…" he whispered, mostly to himself, before walking away from her towards the kitchen.

Millie stood there, alone and wondering what had just happened. What had he meant by what he said, and why was he suddenly acting strange? Was he simply confused and alone after Barbara? Did they even break up to begin with?

One thing she did know, and that was that staying focused on building up a life as a Wayne and nothing else, would be ten times more difficult if it turned out that Dick actually liked her back.

Besides… how could she keep her secret detective work a secret from him if he did like her back? If she was allowed that sweet relationship, then she would never be able to keep her mouth shut about anything.

 **Elaine**

"I should not be the one saying this seeing as I am the least patient one around here, but patience does give result."

Elaine turned her gaze away from the large aquarium in front of her, looking to her right to see the Penguin standing there, his umbrella in his hand and a fancy suit on. Stage two was taking a long time to start. Their secret helper was taking forever seeing as he wanted to make a nice scene and mock the Batman for as long as he could.

"You going somewhere?" she asked with a monotonous voice.

The Penguin always dressed fancy, but he was wearing the suit he always wore when going out, which was what made Elaine realize he was leaving the club.

"Gotta keep the boys happy. Pay-day," he explained before narrowing his eyes. "You'll be alright."

"If you say so," she replied back simply, before turning back to the aquarium, continuing to watch Tiny swim around.

"Your mother joined me to get a taste of freedom."

The words shocked her so much, that she was torn away from her depressed and angered state, and she once again turned her head to look at the Penguin. His eyes had shifted to look at Tiny as well, and behind him she could see Mark and his men standing, waiting for him to finish talking to her so they could move on. As Mark saw her gaze on him, he straightened up slightly, his eyes glistening.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"She… _used_ me," spat the Penguin before calming down again, "used me because she was done with her fake life. Freedom to her was this; this life of doing whatever you want without paying taxes or caring about the government. Politics are not important, only the rules you have to break without anyone noticing are. She felt free with me… do you?"

Elaine stared at him, unsure of what was going on. He had never, ever, showed this side to her except for one time when he told her the truth about her mother. She wondered briefly if this was the real Penguin; the real Oswald Cobblepot.

"I do," she replied quietly.

A moment's silence passed.

"My mother would have loved you…" he said, his eyes filled with emotions as he looked over at her, "truly, she would have."

Elaine felt a bit discouraged by his sudden lack of walls keeping him from saying things that, perhaps, normal people would. He was never this open to her about anything… he had never mentioned his own mother to her either.

Besides… what had his mother got to do with her?

"Did you love my mother?"

The question shocked Oswald and for a brief moment, she could see that his initial reaction to her question had been to yell at her as though she was one of his men asking stupid questions. Though his face softened as his eyes landed on her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was Anna's daughter that made him treat her differently than others… Though she did not know. The man that was buried inside of those walls that had been put up, inside all of that anger and fear, came pouring out once more. She wondered if Mark and his men knew this man as well, or if this was just as shocking to them as it was to Elaine each time she saw it.

"No." His blunt answer did not faze Elaine. In fact, it was the only answer she had expected. They had been business partners after all, nothing more. And this was the Penguin. "Love is weakness. Love is not a part of our lives. But… she made me into who I am. When I was broken down after my mother was _murdered_ in front of my eyes by an evil man, Ed- _Nygma_ and Anna built me up again. I cared for her… She stayed by my side, no matter what choices, bad and wrong, I made," he glanced at her and she could see him realizing something. In an instance, the walls were up again. "Love does not exist. All you can hope for is for someone who is loyal that makes you into who you are and keeps you there. Keeps you in the real world and not the dream-world everyone else is living in."

"That's what she was? Your right-hand?" asked Elaine.

"Mark was our right-hand. She… She was my _partner_ ," he said quietly before furrowing his brow in annoyance.

"Then did you know my father?"

"Why are you askin' so many questions?"

"I want to know who they were…" she replied. "So I can be like my mother and find my strength to kill the person in my life that _ruins_ everything."

Oswald looked away from Elaine, something showing in his eyes which she could not decipher. Though a smirk appeared on his lips shortly after.

"I'll be in Bludhaven for a day. Can you keep things in order here?"

"Bludhaven?"

"Like I said, it's pay-day," explained the Penguin with a roll of his eyes. "Mark'll stay here and-"

"Wait, you have men in Bludhaven?"

"Will you _stop_ asking so many bloody questions!?" roared the Penguin, causing Elaine to look down at her feet.

"Sorry, sir. Yes, I'll keep things safe here while you're gone," said Elaine, earning nothing but a scoff from the Penguin before he wobbled away, Mark's men following him out of the club.

Elaine turned back to Tiny again, walking over to the glass. Freedom… Elaine remembered vaguely what life in the orphanage had been like; horrible. She remembered she did not feel free in the orphanage and that she wanted out. So, in a way, Oswald had given her freedom as well by taking her in. Just like he had given Anna her freedom.

"He's got some plans to expand into Bludhaven, what with the Batman always interfering with our business here in Gotham."

Mark's reflection appeared next to her on the glass of Tiny's aquarium, notifying her that it was indeed Mark who had been talking.

"He doesn't tell me much, does he? I keep thinking we're working together… But I don't think he trusts me that much."

"He trusts you, but he also thinks you're weak," said Mark, causing her to glare over at him. "Hey, that's his words, not mine."

"Why?"

"Because you keep asking questions."

"What has that got to do with it?"

"In our line of work, you don't ask people questions. You make them tell you without having to ask the questions. That's what the Penguin does. That's what he wants you to do too," explained Mark. "Take. Don't ask."

"Do you know that you made me into what I am today?"

Mark glanced at her while Elaine kept staring ahead. The light from the aquarium was illuminating both of their faces.

"I'm sure your time with Two-Face helped as well. It was supposed to at least," replied Mark.

"No, you taught me everything. Yes, Pete helped with the fighting, but apart from that, you taught me _everything_. And you're still helping me be the one that I am supposed to be…" She glanced at him, seeing him already staring at her. She stepped closer to him which caused him to sigh.

"Did you know Anna?"

"She took me in. Made me into who I am today. She and the Penguin trusted me with things they wouldn't trust anyone else with… He still does. As far as I know at least."

"Tell me what happened… he won't tell me…"

"She was murdered. That's all you gotta know. That's all _we_ know too, as a matter of fact. It was strange. One day she got a death threat, the next she was dead. And that was it! Normally when one went after either of them, they wanted them both dead, but this seemed to be purely about Anna… It broke the Penguin."

"So me and my sister ended up in an orphanage after that?" asked Elaine.

"There wasn't really anyone else who, uh, _could_ take care of you. It was for the best…"

"And my dad?"

Mark bit down on his lips, "You gotta stop asking questions. You gotta make them tell you."

Elaine furrowed her brow before carefully moving closer to Mark. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gently caressing his muscles. When he did not move away from her but simply stared at her, Elaine moved in closer, this time pressing her chest up against his arm, her hand moving to his chest…

"I am forty years old… You're eighteen. I promised your mother to keep you _safe_ -"

"Did you – You loved her."

Mark quietened down, looking at Elaine with big eyes.

"You promised you would keep me and Millie safe. Well, you're keeping at least one part of that promise. Which is not something people like us do. And unlike Oswald, _I_ believe in love. And I know love is the main reason behind why people keep promises."

"You shouldn't believe in love," he replied quietly. "It makes one weak."

"But _you_ loved _her_ …"

Mark flared his nostrils, looking away from her as she continued her caressing.

"She never loved me back. Either way, it doesn't matter now," sighed Mark before looking down into her eyes. "What I felt for her…"

"Fuck me."

Mark stared her deep in the eyes, searching for something, anything, that would give him a reason to say no. Carefully, he placed his hands on either side of her face.

"I am too old for you."

"I don't care. We don't ask questions in our line of work. We take what we want…" she said, grabbing his hands and placing them against her chest. "Fuck me."

As if he had been waiting his entire life for it, he leaned down and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. Immediately his hands went down to her ass, grabbing her tightly and lifting her up so she was straddling him. Elaine melted into the kiss, clinging onto him for dear life. He had been the one there for her when she grew up and although it was _so wrong_ , seeing as Mark was basically like a father figure to her, it felt _so right_ to just let him do what he wanted to her right then and there in front of the aquarium.

It was not love, not in that sense. Though it was a feeling of mutual loyalty, and a feeling that the two made the other what they were. Mark could fulfill his promise when being with her, and Elaine could remain strong with him guiding her.

It was the closest thing to love she would probably ever get, and it felt amazing.


	30. 29, Life Changing Lies

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **29.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

"A graduation _gala_?"

Bruce nodded his head, ignoring the sigh Dick gave as he slouched down in his seat, hiding his face in his hands.

"I hate these social gatherings… Why can't we just celebrate our graduation like any other normal family does?"

"We're not a normal family," added Bruce with a raised eyebrow. "But we need to keep up the pretense that we are a _rich_ family."

"Indeed you need," agreed Alfred. "Not to mention that it will be a good opportunity to ask Millie out, Master Dick."

Dick jumped up in his seat, straightening his back and tilting his head to the side as he glared at the two men in front of him.

The three were located in the kitchen, having just had breakfast. The Waynes never had breakfast in the dining room as it was too big. It was much cozier to join Alfred in the kitchen for breakfast or most meals for that matter. Only some Sunday dinners or Friday dinners were held in the large dining room, much to Millie and Dick's disappointment.

Millie had not come down yet, most likely still sleeping. Bruce wondered what her reaction might be to the idea of a graduation gala… though he doubted she would mind if Dick truly decided to ask her out on this very event. However, after his and Barbara's split-up, he wondered if Dick was ready for it yet.

"Not you two too," sighed Dick before he hunched over, resting his forehead against the kitchen table.

Alfred looked back at the blue-eyed boy, taking a small break from cooking the scrambled eggs Millie always enjoyed eating in the morning to take in the sight of Dick's hunched over figure. His eyes glanced over to Bruce, who was watching the boy from over the large morning newspapers he was reading, his food still untouched.

"And what do you mean by that, Master Dick?" asked Alfred, holding the spatula he had been using in his hand.

Dick let out another sigh before propping his head up on his hand, glancing up at Alfred, "Barbara said I was too… _attached_ to Millie in order for our relationship to work. She said I should ask her out instead." Neither of the men noticed the faint pink color on Dick's cheeks, nor did they miss how he looked away as he said this, his eyes holding a faint glimpse of hope.

"Ouch," mumbled Bruce, managing to look back down at his paper before he could meet the death-glare Dick gave him.

"I never mentioned anything about a romantic relationship. I simply meant that it would cheer Millie up to get out of the house with a friend," said Alfred innocently, a tone of hidden sarcasm in his voice which only Bruce could pick up on, recognizing it from the times Alfred had talked with him about girls back when Bruce himself has been younger.

"Cheer me up?" asked Millie as she entered the kitchen, stretching slightly before taking a seat in front of Dick.

"We're arranging a graduation party," explained Bruce before Dick could say anything, a blush evident on the boy's cheeks.

"Oh…" said Millie quietly, a sudden hint of distress visible in her eyes.

Alfred narrowed his eyes in suspicion before he turned back around to fix the scrambled eggs. Bruce, however, kept his eyes on Millie, trying to figure out what she was thinking about.

"Uh, what rooms are you going to use?"

This time, both Dick and Bruce exchanged a confused glance before looking back at Millie, who was playing with her fingers and avoiding looking at anyone.

"Why are you asking?" asked Bruce, tilting his head to the side while he put the newspaper down. His plan had been to have the party somewhere else, but if Millie was hiding something…

Having a teenage girl, daughter, was more complicated than Bruce cared to admit. She very rarely opened up to her father for fear of embarrassment, which Bruce understood. But when there was obviously something she was hiding, something that caused her distress, Bruce needed to use a strategy he had learned from his nights out. A Batman strategy used to make people accidentally reveal their secrets…

"I was simply wondering," she replied with a shrug.

"Well, I was thinking of using the old ball-room in the back of the mansion, along with the living room for whoever does not want to dance," lied Bruce. "Though most of the rooms downstairs will be open for guests."

"Yeah… okay," she replied before faking a cough. "You know what?" Alfred turned around with a plate of finished scrambled eggs in his hands, and just as he was about to place the plate in front of her, she stood up, "I'm not feeling very well, I think I'll head back to bed."

All three men followed her with their eyes as she hurried out of the room. With an annoyed look, Alfred looked down at the plate in his hands before putting it down on the kitchen table, sitting himself down in front of it and beginning to eat.

"What was that all about?" asked Dick, though he did not get an answer as Bruce quickly stood up to follow her.

With quiet footsteps and the stealthy movements he had taught himself to use during nights in Gotham, he followed Millie without her noticing him. As he had suspected, Millie did not go upstairs to go to bed. Instead, she went past the staircase towards the back of the mansion, going down hallway after hallway until she got to the ball-room in the back, which had not been used in quite some time. He stayed hidden behind a corner, carefully peeking out to see what she was doing from time to time and all the while listening to her footsteps running back and forth through the ballroom.

Much to his astonishment, and complete and utter fear, Millie had been decorating the walls in the ball-room with pieces of paper all containing evidence and hints concerning Elaine and her whereabouts. Small strings of red yarn had been tied up, going from wall to wall; evidence to evidence; article to article. One wall contained articles concerning Millie and Elaine's connection, showing pictures of Millie and Elaine side-by-side. Little sticky notes had been added as well with her own words on it. Though Bruce could not read them as Millie was tearing everything down from the walls in a hurry.

While Millie was now destroying the connections she had made and also managing to confuse the pieces that connected with each other and not, he had managed to see that she had come far. Albeit she missed the files Bruce had on certain things. Some files that he one day would give to her if the truth came out, and some files he would never show anyone...

Then again…

She used to work at the library. Perhaps she did manage to get _those_ files.

Suddenly, she stopped running around collecting what she had found out, staring down at a piece of paper in her hands. Bruce watched intensely as she gently sat down on the floor, her eyes glued to the paper in her hands. He wondered what it was, though if he was going to find out, he would have to reveal that he was there, which he did not think he should do.

Letting her have her moment on her own, he began to sneak back to the kitchen. In his heart, he knew Millie was actually ready to learn the truth about him and Dick; a secret which he had been keeping from her for too long. But she was still his little girl… keeping her unaware of the ugly truth that he was the Batman made her stay an innocent daughter for longer. Innocent because that evidence and the amount of intel she had gathered on possible connections between herself and her sister and possible parents, was enough proof to Bruce that Millie would follow in his footsteps if she found out.

Bruce shook his head no; she was not an innocent daughter. The detective work she had done was nothing an innocent daughter could have done; She had grown up.

She was a woman. Strong. Independent.

He had been stupid to think that Millie would simply let it be if she found out that her sister was actually alive, and she had proven that while also showing to him that she had some hidden detective skills he had no idea where she had gotten.

A conflict arose in him. He needed to tell her, though then he would risk her beginning to interfere or want to help, while at the same time, him telling her would mean there were less secrets between them. Though only _less_. There would still be secrets, secrets he might bring with him to his grave.

He could not actually keep living a normal life with Millie growing up and understanding things better. She would see that he would have new bruises some mornings, and she would begin to understand that the bags underneath of his eyes were not because he was staying up late working for his company or doing other CEO stuff, but that those came from somewhere bad.

No, telling her the truth would be the only way for him to continue on being able to live both lives. Though how he was going to tell her was the real question. He had never really thought the day would come. When he awoke that morning, he had planned to have a normal, relaxing day. Maybe visit the office for an hour or two later on before going over some graduation gala planning with Alfred. But he had never thought that that day would be the most intense day of his life; the day he would have to tell Millie the truth about who he and Dick were.

With a sigh, Bruce re-entered the kitchen. He was met by the questioning looks of Alfred and Dick, and he immediately began to explain, keeping to himself only the parts he did not want Dick to know either.

 **Millie**

She continued to stare down at the picture of her and Dick holding hands at the press-conference a couple weeks back. The picture showed them both being rather serious, though she remembered that she was in no way serious. Of course, she was worried and afraid that she would mess up the press-conference, but there were other emotions at play underneath of that as well. Warm and electric emotions that were simply waiting for her to explore them. Though she only wanted to explore them with one man, and that man most likely thought of her as his _sister_.

Letting out a sigh, she folded the picture once before putting it in her pocket, quickly gathering the rest of the material from the walls, throwing them into a small box before quickly, yet calmly, walking down the hallways towards the staircase again. Much to her disappointment, which was strange as she never felt that when meeting him, Dick was standing by the staircase, seemingly waiting for her.

"Hey," he said with a smile before pointing up the stairs, "I thought you were going up?"

"Yeah… I just needed to, uh, get some stuff," she said, gesturing to the box in her arms.

"I can help you carry that, if you want," he smiled, grabbing the box from her before she could protest.

"Uh, it's just… It's nothing important-"

"Weighs a ton though," he joked, the two beginning to climb the stairs. "You know, keeping secrets isn't lying."

Millie paused, her heart beating a million miles an hour, "What?"

"Just something I overheard Bruce say just now," he said, shrugging. "I thought it was bullshit. Keeping things from someone is the same thing as lying. Even if you're going to tell them eventually. I mean, just because you've planned to tell them sooner or later, you're still lying during the period that the person doesn't know of the thing, right?"

Millie was practically shaking; did he know of her 'detective' work? Would he stop her from continuing? Would he tell _Bruce_?

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I-I suppose if the person had good intentions behind not telling the complete truth… It's… okay?"

"Really?" asked Dick, the two reaching the top and beginning to walk down the hallway to Millie's room. "So, if someone were to suddenly tell you something that would be life-changing and that the person has been keeping from you for, say, your entire life… would you be okay with it?"

Millie blinked twice before answering, "If it's life-changing, it's _very_ big. But… I don't see how that is relevant?"

"Relevant to what? We're just having a nice conversation… right?"

The two stopped in front of her door, turning to face each other. They both stared into the other's eyes for a while, both trying to decipher something in them. Little did they know how different either of them thought the other was thinking.

Little did Millie know what was about to happen.

"You're not referring to anything, uh, particular?" she asked quietly, taking the box from him.

"Uh, no… were you?"

Millie smiled; a relieved smile. "No, not at all," she lied before smiling down at the box, grabbing it form his arms, "Thanks for helping me, although I didn't need help."

Dick's eyes quickly averted to his shoes before once more looking up into hers. His icy-blue eyes were filled with the kindness that she knew filled Dick's heart, and it seemed to melt her right then and there. Not to mention that she had never noticed exactly how well-built he was.

She could see that he was still training acrobatics during his spare-time in the gym Bruce had in another part of the mansion, and she could also see he had been doing more weight-lifting. That added to the fact that he was out-growing being a boy and turning into a young man of 19 years old, simply added to how hot he was. His hair slightly ruffled yet still completely amazing made her fingers itch to brush through it, while his full lips with which he smiled towards her so often simply made her own lips itch to touch his. So much about him made her itch, and yet she could do nothing but grasp the box in her arms a little tighter.

"No problem," he said.

Oh, and his voice. That voice of his which was slightly higher than others, yet not too high to make him sound like a boy. A beautiful, soothing voice which suited his light heart and kind soul so well, she just never wanted him to stop talking.

"You never answered my question…"

"What question?" she asked, forcing herself to pull away from the trance he managed to put her in simply by being close to her.

"Whether such a life-changing lie would hurt you or not…"

"Dick, it's a life-changing lie. Of course that would hurt my feelings," said Millie before biting her lip, wondering why he was asking her this. "Then again, I suppose that depends on who told the lie and what intentions were behind it. Not to mention that it depends on the lie. If it was just a simple lie like the fact that black is not black but blue, I would freak out but I wouldn't hate the person for it. But if it was something about… say, my actual family… The ones I share DNA with… I would probably be rather hurt… Especially if they kept it from me my entire life."

"I agree… I would be too," he said quietly before shaking his head, putting on a smile on his lips. "You know what would be great?"

"What?" asked Millie, putting on a matching smile on her lips.

"If we could meet up later today and hang out," said Dick with a smile. "Maybe we can meet in the living room in about… say, an hour?"

"That would be great," smiled Millie.

Before he left, Dick staggered her with another blinding smile, "How are you feeling, by the way?"

"Huh?"

"You said you weren't feeling very well?" smirked Dick.

"Oh, I'm… better now."

Dick's smile faded slightly at her words and she could, unless it was simply her imagination, see the hint of a blush on his cheeks, before he turned and left. Casually, he raised his hand and made a piece sign, "See ya in an hour!"

Millie smiled, opening her door and letting herself in. The two always spent time together even if they did not plan anything, especially after Barbara had broken up with him and Millie had lost her job. They just had more time on their hands and could do more together, which they both enjoyed a lot. Maybe Millie a bit more than Dick, and maybe Dick a bit more than Millie thought – either way, their bond was growing and she hoped it would never ever break.

Little did she know that in an hour… that bond might break forever.


	31. 30, You're Batman?

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **30.**

* * *

 **Millie**

Once an hour had passed since Millie and Dick had last spoken, Millie had finally managed to hide box of information she had gathered on herself and her sister's potential parents – at the very least the potential mothers. There was not a lot of information, but mainly pictures and some old files Millie had stolen from work – when she still had a job…

She had found it rather difficult to find a spot where Alfred would not accidentally find it all during one of his daily cleaning routines. After all, the butler cleaned everywhere in the rooms the Wayne family and Dick used every day; dusting everything at least twice. Where had she finally hidden everything, you may ask?

Well, after having gone through a minor panic attack at the thought of Alfred finding it and scolding her for doing the work of a police (at least she imagined Alfred would scold her, this wasn't a normal teenage hobby after all), Millie had climbed up on a pair of chairs, nearly falling over twice, to see if there was room up at bulks making up her fourposter bed. Though there wasn't a good way to hide the evidence there as Alfred would see it if he entered the room. Besides, when she wanted to close the curtains around her bed, the files would fall down. However, the ridiculously dangerous climb up had not been for nothing. For as she was up there, she had spotted a vent.

Climbing down the chairs and then up again over by the vent, she found that the vent itself was dusty and quite difficult to open. She imagined the air she breathed was coming from that very vent though, and stuffing it with evidence might not be a good idea… But, where else would she hide it? The dust proved that Alfred did not make such a dangerous climb every day and for now, that hiding spot was the best and _only_ spot she had found. So, she stuffed the vent with evidence, finding that there was no air seeping through anymore afterwards.

As an hour had passed after that, Millie made her way downstairs to the living room, as she and Dick had planned. Before she did though, she opened a window to let some air in. Hurrying down the large, wooden staircase, she found herself alone in the living room. With a sigh, she plopped down on the sofa and began to wait.

A minute passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Half and hour passed.

No sign of Dick. In fact, the entire mansion seemed very quiet. No Alfred walking around cleaning things; no footsteps of Bruce walking from the bathroom back to his office… yes, the mansion was big and what happened on the other side of the building was difficult to hear, though the building was also old and most of the creaks and cracks could be heard on a normal Sunday afternoon were not audible.

No one was moving around in the house.

The eerie silence made her worry. Millie began walking around the building, trying to find someone or some explanation to why she was seemingly completely alone. Though she found no one. If Bruce had gone out, Alfred might have joined as a driver but Dick would still have been around. Had something happened, they would have informed her… So, where was everyone?

Something was up, and she did not like the feeling in her gut at all.

After having roamed both the inside and the outside of the mansion without having found any evidence of where everyone was, she moved back to the living room, unsure of what to do. A wave of anger rolled over her at the thought of them having left her alone to worry about them. At the very least they could have told her they were leaving… at the very least Dick could have said something as they _had_ made plans to do something together.

Angry, she sat down at the piano and began slamming her fingers down on the tiles, creating horrible sounds. She knew how to play by now, but her anger made it impossible to remember any sort of song and instead she just slammed her fingers down randomly. Ungracefully, she finished the awful song by moving one hand from the left to the right, all the way over all the tiles. Unsatisfied with her ending, she slammed her hand down on the tiles to the far most right, inventing an even more horrid sounding accord –

But then something happened.

Her anger disappeared. A gust of cold air blew past her. Creaking hinges moved a bookcase. And a secret, dark passage was revealed. Frozen on the spot, she stared at what she had done, not quite understanding it…

"This is one _strange_ day…" she whispered to herself before jumping up and running over to the bookcase. Indeed, what a strange day… First Bruce had suddenly decided to start using the basically abandoned ballroom for some stupid graduation party in their honor without talking to them first; then Dick stood her up and everyone else disappeared; and now this? A secret passageway existed in the house she had grown up in without her knowing it?

It was cold in there and dark. Though as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a spiral staircase lead down into even more darkness. Where it ended, she was unsure…

The bookcase close behind her, and she ran back towards it, slamming her hands against it. Though the bookcase did not move back open again and to her horror she found herself locked in. Panicked, she looked around for some form of a way out, and she saw a metal ball hanging from a metal chain in a niche in the wall. She pulled it and the bookcase opened again.

Though just as she was about to taste freedom again, she stopped and turned back to the staircase…

What was down there?

She knew how to get out now and didn't have a lot to worry about… Dick wasn't going to show up anytime soon and… why not?

Quickly and with a smile on her lips – she loved adventures – she hobbled over towards the staircase and began to climb down. She had to move carefully though as it was too dark to see where the next step was. And when the bookcase closed again behind her, the darkness seemed to overwhelm her.

She stopped moving downwards for a few seconds to see if her eyes could adjust to the new darkness, though found that she did not have to adjust her eyes at all. Suddenly, lights turned on around her, seemingly reacting to her movements. And as she began climbing down again, the lights followed her. Those far behind her turned off, and those a little before her turned on.

As she finally saw where the staircase ended, Millie began to hear voices along with the sound of… a waterfall? Had she moved away from the mansion? How could a waterfall exist _underneath_ of her home? The air around her changed as well. The temperature fell and everything became much more humid. The male voices grew louder the close to the ground she got until she finally reached a large doorway. Now she could determine there were three male voices speaking, though their voices echoed strangely and it was difficult to hear what they were saying. The top of the doorway she found herself in was covered in cobwebs, indicating to her that no one taller than at least Bruce had ever used that doorway. Not only that, but Alfred clearly never came down here. His biggest enemy was cobwebs.

Pressing herself against the wall next to the doorway, she peeked around carefully. After all, what if those voices belonged to someone dangerous? Though it turned out… they didn't.

 **Elaine**

"No, I want something more personal."

"We can't all get what we want," grumbled Cobblepot, grabbing the newspaper once more before once more trying to read it.

Elaine bit down a comment she knew would earn her a flogging. "Alright. But once we have her, I want free reigns."

Cobblepot looked over at her, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his lips. Though there was something… odd about it. As though Elaine could not really trust it. "Fine. We capture 'er my way, and you get all the time ya want with her afterwards. Deal?"

"Deal," smirked Elaine. "And when's it happening?"

"Tonight-"

"TONIGHT!?" exclaimed Elaine. She stopped herself too late, slamming both hands over her mouth at her outburst infront of her boss. Cobblepot opened his mouth as though to say something, but stopped himself, simply shaking his head instead. It surprised Elaine he did not yell at her for that, but she _was_ grateful for it as well.

"Ed - urgh – Nygma's ready tonight. He got a way in. So, yes, tonight. You better go and prepare yourself, kid."

"Yes, boss," she mumbled, though she didn't move away. Cobblepot sighed, putting down the newspaper again.

"What?" he hissed at her

"What of the Bat?"

"The Bat?"

"He's been known to come to the Wayne's rescue before. You told me of Nygma trying to enter Wayne Mansion over a decade ago; and the Bat was there. _And_ Mark and his men were attacked by the Bat when we tried to kidnap her before-"

"Alright, alright! I get it… Well, what better way to practice fighting him too, aye?"

"Can we at least bring some extra men?"

Cobblepot's lips turned into a straight line as he thought about it. Elaine was unsure of why he needed to think about it… after all, he wanted to succeed, right?

"Fine. We'll bring Pete."

"Just the one – But, sir - ?"

"Enough. Leave me."

"Si-"

"LEAVE!" He stood up, an angry scowl on his face. Elaine straightened up, turned and left, knowing it was a stupid idea to argue.

"And?" asked Mark who had been waiting for her outside. The shabby walls of the hallway reverberated from the noise down in the club.

"We're bringing Pete with us. _Tonight_."

"Jeez…" breathed Mark, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. "Does he want us to fail?"

Elaine scowled at him, "I think he knows what he's doing. He's the Penguin." Her words didn't even convince herself.

Mark didn't answer, instead leaning against the shabby wall. Elaine moved over to him, grabbing his arm and placing it around her. He leaned in towards her, but made no move for any further affection. Both were too worried… and neither said the words they were both thinking.

 _Lately, the Penguin had been working against them…_

 **Millie**

She stared into a huge cave. Her eyes widened at the sight of large vehicles being parked in the middle on a large, metal platform. The batmobile was parked amongst them and one of them was most certainly an aircraft. All vehicles were parked towards the large waterfall cascading down past the cave and into, she assumed, some form of underground river. Against the rocky walls, more metal platforms and catwalks could be found, ladders reaching up and down. Amidst all the catwalks and platforms stood multiple monitors, and beneath them a large machine of some sorts. One large chair was standing before the monitors and the screens, though nobody was in it.

Instead, three figures stood behind the large office chair, sometimes pointing up towards a monitor showing a picture of the Riddler. Those three figures were, in fact, the main thing that shocked her. The batmobile parked there wasn't even more shocking than _those three figures_.

Bruce. Alfred. And _Dick_.

Their clothing… the black leather… the colorful spandex… the capes… _the masks_ …

Horrified and almost even terrified, Millie stepped through the cobwebbed doorway, out of the darkness and onto the small metal platform positioned there. The sounds her steps made against the metal alerted the three figures in the cave to her presence, and they quickly turned around. Bruce looked monotonous, pulling down his mask to… get a better look at her? She honestly couldn't tell what he was feeling. Dick, on the other hand, looked distraught. He took a few steps forwards as though to run to her and shield her from this all, but stopped as he realized he was too late. Alfred sighed and bowed his head in… guilt…

Dick had been talking about life changing lies earlier… This had been what he had meant, Millie realized. And she knew that _this_ was something she would not easily, if she ever could, forgive him for.

"Millie…" began Bruce, but his sentence died out.

"You're… You're Batman?"

Without letting anyone explain anything to her, Millie turned around and left back up the spiral staircase.

Devastated.

Confused.

Hurt.

Those were only a few of the feelings she was feeling. Everything was mixed up inside of her, swiveling around and pushing against her chest. Bile was rising up her throat as she ran up the secret staircase and a cold sweat broke out. Her fingers shook uncontrollably and for a moment she thought she might faint.

Images of hate and despair flashed past her eyes, showing her how she hurt those that had lied to her in unexplainable ways. Waving her hand in front of her face, she waved those horrible images away from her mind, most likely looking rather insane to anyone possibly following her. Millie did her best to try and calm herself down to make sure she did nothing… bad. It had happened before after all.

As she reached the top and was about to exit, having pulled the little metal ball hanging from the niche in the wall, a hand touched her shoulder to stop her from walking any further. In a fit of rage, she threw herself forwards against the slowly moving bookcase, in the process getting rid of the hand on her shoulder. She stumbled out and towards the centre of the living room before spinning around to face whomever had touched her.

"Don't touch me," she spat at Bruce standing in the doorway of the secret entrance, fully dressed in his _Batman_ suit, the mask pulled down.

"Millie-"

"Wha – How long… You… You lied… You _all_ lied to me. How l-long?"

Behind Bruce, Dick and Alfred appeared in the entrance, looking at Millie with worried eyes. The sight of Richard made her remember their previous conversation, and she curled her fingers into balls.

"The life-changing lie…" she whispered, causing Dick to look away from her.

Bruce spared a glance towards Dick, whom still kept his eyes down, in confusion. Though he kept his focus on Millie. As though he was approached someone pointing a gun at his head, he walked over to her with his hands raised.

"Let us explain. Let us explain why we decided to keep this from you," tried Bruce.

"Master Wayne, I highly recommend you do not do this now," warned Alfred, causing Millie to narrow her eyes. However, Millie was not the only one to react to his words. Apparently, something about them had made Dick curious as well, as he looked over at Alfred as well with narrowed eyes.

"Tell me. Because, Bruce, Dick, Alfred, you all better have a damn **fucking** good reason to lie to me about this. Otherwise… Let's just say there won't be _much left_ …" her sentence trailed off, either because she could not bring herself to finish it, or because she did not know _how_ to finish it. She did not feel remorse after her words though, and somewhere deep down, she knew she had _meant_ them.

Dick's eyes shot up to look over at her. Whether he was surprised or shocked by her threat, she did not know. Too much was going on at the moment for her to even begin to read into what any of their faces were telling her. All she knew was that Dick had looked more saddened by her words than shocked or surprised.

"To keep you s-"

"No! Don't give me that bullshit. Don't!" she exclaimed as Bruce tried to finish his sentence. "What? You wanted to keep me safe? Safe from what? What difference would it have made if I knew or not? What, did you think I would join? Have you _seen_ me!? I can barely lift a cat without breaking a sweat! ("That's not true!" had Dick said quickly, remembering their training sessions together) I wouldn't have joined!" Her heart did a double-take. Would she not have? "I would have been in the same danger as I am- _was_ not knowing about it!"

Bruce sighed, "I understand what you mean. But this life… In my experience, everyone who knows about it has wanted to help out and when they do, they get hurt." Dick looked away at that statement. "I – we – can't bear the thought of seeing something happen to you."

"Oh my God…" breathed Millie, barely having listened to Bruce as something hit her. "You know… You're Batman… You know of my sister… You _knew_ of my sister! You knew she was alive!" Her eyes were wide.

"I did _not_. I would never lie to you about that." Bruce looked at her sternly, trying to make her see that there were no more lies… even though there were. "I found out around the same time as you."

"Bruce…" sighed Dick. His voice had told Millie everything she needed to know.

He was still lying to her.

A silence fell over the four of them.

"This is not how I wanted this to go. I was going to tell you." Millie scoffed at Bruce's words. "I saw what job you had been doing to find out more about your family earlier today. I followed you after breakfast… Millie, I knew you were ready to hear what our secret was."

"Oh, okay! That makes everything okay, doesn't it? You were **going** to tell me, right. Every night, you go out there, the two of you, and fight crime in Gotham. The bruises… the 'late nights at the office'… My God, the _lies_! You do this to everyone you know?" Bruce tried to get in another word, but Millie continued, running over his words. "But, that's okay, right? Because you were _going_ to tell me."

"I was-"

"Whatever," spat Millie.

Another silence fell over the three of them until Alfred broke it, his eyes staring out through the window.

"Master Wayne," he wanted, pointing at what he was seeing.

There, shining over Gotham during the dark, cloudy day, was the Bat Symbol. It could not have been lit up during a worse moment though…

"Great…" muttered Millie, glaring at the symbol that had once meant something to her. "The orphanage-"

"That was me too, yes. You save my life."

Millie narrowed her eyes, not even listening to her own words anytmore or thinking them over, "That's the only reason you picked me? Because you felt obligated to after I helped Batman?" She paused, wanting him to say something to correct her; wanting him to stop her from saying what would come next. But he didn't. He remained silent. "You didn't really want me, did you?"

"Of course I did!" exclaimed Bruce finally. Millie looked around at the living room, the life Bruce had been leading… playboy… millionaire… why adopt a child if not because he felt obligated? Where had there been room for a child in his life? "Millie, please, this does not change anything."

"Are you insane? It changes everything! You're not just Bruce Wayne anymore! I don't even know Bruce Wayne!" Her eyes glanced at Dick, the look she gave him telling him she thought the same about him. "That mask, that's a part of you. A part of your identity, isn't it? You've been hiding half of the true Bruce Wayne from me for years… and you think that with a simple 'sorry' and a stupid, cliché; 'it was for your own protection', everything will be alright? This… I will never forgive you for this."

"Miss Wayne," began Alfred, clearly wanting to defend Bruce and Dick.

"No! Don't… Don't call me _Wayne_."

With that said, Millie turned, her chest ready to burst with feelings of anger and pain, and left.


	32. 31, Daughter of Gotham

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **31.**

* * *

 **Bruce**

 _"No! Don't… Don't call me_ Wayne _."_

For a while, Bruce, Dick and Alfred simply stayed put by the secret entrance to the Batcave with the faint light of the Bat Symbol shining in on them through the windows. The sun was going down beneath it, giving the sky a strange, yellow nuance. Rainclouds nearing Gotham threatened to give the Gothamites yet another rainy night.

Clenching his fist, Bruce turned around to face the other two men in the room, his eyes on Dick, "Let's go."

His words shocked Dick initially, before Bruce clearly saw anger spread over his face, "Are you insane? We can't leave now! Millie-"

"Will still be here when we return," finished Bruce for Dick. It was as though his mouth and voice had a life and mind of its own, because those words shocked even Bruce. But he understood them as well, something Dick apparently did not, the words instead fueling his anger. "Remember, the Riddler's planning something." He pointed a gloved finger at the Bat Symbol. "I bet the GCPD has found another victim and another riddle."

"Master Wayne, is this really the time to put on the mask?" asked Alfred, still clearly in shock after Millie's outburst. Though Bruce was not.

As an answer to his butler's question, Bruce pulled his mask over his face, "Batman and Millie don't know each other. We cannot let this get in the way of the city's safety." He thought for a moment that Alfred's eyes flickered with disdainful understanding, and he felt his heart skip a beat even if he did not understand why being understood scared him so much. Perhaps… though… he knew that this indeed was cowardly; hiding behind the mask instead of being a father…

"Bruce," began Dick, shaking his head and looking a little overwhelmed that Bruce could just let this go so quickly. "This is Millie… _Millie_."

"You don't have to come if you don't want," said Bruce monotonously, brushing past Dick as he headed for the open bookcase.

Whether they understood or not, Bruce did not care. Whether they saw through his façade, he did not care. Right now, all Bruce could do to keep himself from freaking out, was _be Batman_. And Batman needed to catch the Riddler right now, no matter what came in the way on Bruce's side.

Besides… once the Riddler was out of his mind, he could focus on regaining Millie's trust… Though how he was going to do that, he was unsure of whether the greatest detective in the world could figure out.

As he neared the Batmobile down in the cave, he turned around as he heard footsteps. Robin walked over to him, avoiding his gaze as he entered the car in silence.

 **Millie**

Fuming with rage, Millie tapped away on her laptop. Her breathing was heavy and sweat was dripping down her forehead. Everything seemed blurry around her, as though she was looking at the world through a dirty window, and her head felt heavy… strange… was this her typing 'vacant apartments, Gotham' into the search bar or was this someone else?

Her fingers were shaking and each time she misspelled something, she cursed loudly. She felt the keys underneath of her fingers, but could not feel herself wanting her fingers to keep typing and searching…

A soft knock was heard on her door then, causing her to glare over at it faintly before continuing, "WHAT?"

Alfred entered the room, but her eyes did not soften. "I simply wondered if you would like something to drink before going to bed?"

"Are you serious?"

Alfred simply blinked before nodding his head. He seemed calm, but his hand was gripping the doorknob tightly.

"You come in here and act as though nothing just happened down there!?"

"Miss Millie, it's been hours…"

She did not hear his voice though, "They've been lying to me my entire life – you've been lying to me my entire LIFE!"

Millie found herself standing up then, her laptop on the floor in front of her – at least what was left of it. Bits and pieces were sprawled out over the floor, but she could not remember having thrown it.

"Miss Millie, I advice you to calm down." Alfred stepped into the room, still not seeming very bothered by her rage. Instead, he was calm, collected and professional, as though he was used to this…

Oh, but he was. He was Batman's butler. He knew villains – raging psychopaths…

"I don't _need_ your advice. I am Millie. Just Millie. I'm… I…" her voice trailed off, her fists unclenching. A pair of scissors fell out of her hands, which she once again did not remember having picked up. "I don't know what to do." The words had come from her mouth before she had realized she felt this way herself.

A silence fell over the two of them then. Millie seemed to snap out of her enraged trance, finally regaining control over her body. Though instead of feeling relieved, she felt pained.

Dropping to her knees, she held her face in her hands as she sobbed quietly. It had been comforting not to have to deal with the situation before, which was perhaps why she had given into her rage… but that… in reality… had been very, very scary.

What the hell was wrong with her?

Two soft hands were placed on her shoulders. She wished for Dick to be the one to hold her and sooth her pain away, though she was not disappointed that it was Alfred.

"All my life… Everything I know is just wrong."

"What do you mean?" asked Alfred quietly.

"I don't know who my real parents are… I don't know where my sister is or who she even is today… And now, I don't even know who my family is."

"Yes you do," replied Alfred calmly. He was sitting next to her, gently stroking her dark hair the way he used to do when she was younger and could not really fix her own hair yet. It was soothing… nostalgic… "Look at me when I tell you this, Millie. Your family consists of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. And me, if you will have me. Batman and Robin are not your family. They are personas, vigilantes, who try to save Gotham and make it a better city. _They_ are not your family. Unless you make them your family. And that is exactly what Bruce did not want you to do. With Batman and Robin as your family, you become vulnerable to the same dangers that they are vulnerable to."

"But they _are_ Batman and Robin-"

"No. They're Bruce and Dick. As long as their identities are kept safe, that is." She nodded her head, understanding slightly what he meant. "Listen, they kept that away from you because I strongly believe that if anything were to happen to you, Bruce and Dick would not be able to live with themselves."

Tears continued to stream down her face, though she understood every word he told her. And that annoyed her a little bit; the fact that their lying was logical, rational even, in a way.

"I don't think I can forgive them for this…"

Alfred almost smiled at her comment, pushing his lips together to form a straight line instead. "I don't think they expect you to either."

 **Batman**

Batman turned around and handed Robin the small, green card that had been left behind on the crime-scene. They had arrived seconds ago, but the Riddler was nowhere near. The police was outside, waiting for them to finish analyzing everything.

"God…" breathed Robin at the sight before him, swiftly taking the card from Batman. "This is… cruel."

This… This was exactly what he did not want Millie to get involved in; psychopathic murder; irrational murder just to gain his attention. The darkness of these insane super-villains of Gotham City took a toll on people, and he wanted Millie to not have to go through that…

Somehow…

The victims the Riddler had left behind had been propped up into sitting positions, all of them around a round table in a penthouse overlooking Wayne Tower. All of their eyes had been pried open, and Nygma had made sure that they had all been staring at the card holder containing the letter Robin was now reading. It had been addressed to Batman with Nygma's obvious, curly handwriting.

Each victim was dressed in a cheap knight outfit, and they were all holding the sword that was holstered against their belts, a nail through their hands holding them into position. Blood was still dripping down from their hands, which meant that Nygma had been here to finish the last details of the scene not too long ago before leaving.

"It's another clue… does this ever end?" asked Robin with a sympathetic sigh directed towards the victims. He cleared his throat, beginning to read, "'Now you have found the knights of the round table, and done my bidding just as asked. As promised I will give you the part, that will reveal the last of my illustrious chart. Find the daughter of Gotham, oh so pretty, and prevent what the knights once wanted of the son of this city.'" Batman furrowed his brow as he saw something painted onto the victims' chests. "'And you, Dark Knight, may just save a life.' What does that mean?"

"The last riddle talked about the order of the Dumas, an ancient order intent on taking back power over Gotham. Look Robin," said Batman, pointing towards the victims' chests.

"He's painted the red cross of the Dumas' order on their chests," pointed Robin out, furrowing his brow as he began checking the Batcave's intel on the order via his gauntlet. "The Dumas are against the Waynes' rule over Gotham. Well… what they'd call 'ruling'."

"The daughter of Gotham…" recited Batman as he thought.

"He's been making us run around Gotham just for him to paint a picture around his 'big scheme'… I think he's been trying to keep us away from something. That this was just a distraction while he finished something else. He _did_ call in every single clue to the GCPD, meaning we were never supposed to find them ourselves. We were just supposed to… read and watch, I guess."

"Yes, I agree… He is trying to keep us away from something," said Batman absentmindedly. "The Order of St Dumas first came back to Gotham when I was sixteen. The GCPD and them had a run-in as they tricked me into trusting them before kidnapping me."

"Woah, I've never heard of this."

Batman ignored him, continuing his own story instead, "They wanted to kill me, calling me the Son of Gotham… I think Nygma's hinting that he wants to kill someone, like they tried."

"Okay, but who? Perhaps this 'daughter of Gotham'?"

Realization dawned on Batman then, and his eyes widened in horror. How could this have taken him so long to finally understand?

"What?" pressed Robin, deducing correctly that Batman had figured it out.

Quickly, Batman pressed a finger against the side of his mask, activating his communications device to contact Alfred, "Alfred! Can you hear me? Millie's in danger… Nygma's been planning to kill her all along… Alfred? Can you hear me?"

"Millie?" breathed Robin, glancing down at the card with the clues… daughter of Gotham… Bruce, a Wayne, had been the _son_ of Gotham… Millie was his daughter… the youngest Wayne… it made sense… "Shit, Millie!"


	33. 32, Nygma's Plan All Along

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **32.**

* * *

 **Millie**

An hour had passed and she had completely calmed down. Alfred had stayed with her the entire time and was now helping her clean up the mess that had once been her laptop.

"What were you doing on your laptop? You were typing away quite vigorously…"

"Looking for cheap apartments…" mumbled Millie, to which Alfred looked slightly shocked. "Couldn't afford any of them without Bruce's help though… Shouldn't have gotten fired."

"Everyone gets fired once in their life. Even I have."

"Really?" asked Millie, placing another tiny component onto the pile that was once her laptop.

"Yes. Master Bruce has fired me a couple of times already. Somehow I always end up coming back… And before the Waynes even found me I had been fired a few times."

"What did you do before you became a butler?" Talking about something else, somebody else but herself, was strangely relaxing.

"I did some time in the Military."

Millie blinked a couple of times, shocked. Alfred picked up on it and chuckled, "Why, you thought Master Bruce learned how to fight all by himself?"

"Woah…"

Alfred cleared his throat, "You still want to become a musician, right?" he asked with a smile. "Ah, I once knew a musician myself. She was quite lovely."

"Really?" asked Millie with a soft smile, amused by the longing look in Alfred's eyes. "What was her name?"

"Ginny," replied Alfred before coughing. "Anyway…"

Millie giggled at his reaction, sitting back down on her bed with a sigh. There was a pile on her floor which Alfred would most likely sweep up soon and dispose of. Getting a new laptop would not be an issue for Millie, but she felt a little sad it was destroyed. She had been quite fond of that particular laptop.

"I'll inform Master Dick that you are laughing again already. He'll be pleased," smiled Alfred as he joined her on the bed, taking out a small device from his pocket. Millie had never seen something like it before. Though she quickly realized what it was once Alfred lifted it to his mouth; a device given to him by the Batman, as it had the Batman's logo on it at the back.

"Dick?"

"He wanted me to keep him informed of your well-being," informed Alfred nonchalantly, causing Millie to smile softly as she looked away from Alfred, wishing that looking away from Alfred would make it impossible for him to see the soft blush on her cheeks.

A sudden wave of heat reached Millie and she shook her head, walking over to the windows to open a few more of them, knowing she could not sleep if her room was smoking hot. Perhaps hiding all of those files in the vent had been a very bad idea after all…

"Master Dick?"

The communicator Alfred used crackled slightly after he had spoken, causing her to furrow her brow. While Millie opened a window, Alfred began to adjust some settings on it which apparently made the apparatus unusable.

A strange, smoky smell entered her nostrils as she opened the window, making her frown even more. She hated that smell. Someone must be burning something… but where? They had no neighbors after all.

 _"Alfred! Get Millie the hell out of there!"_

Alfred's gaze immediately jumped to Millie. He quickly stood up from the bed, an alarmed expression on his face.

"What is going on?"

As if Dick had heard her, his out-of-breath voice returned almost immediately, _"Riddler's trying to kill her!"_

Millie gasped, immediately running over to Alfred who grabbed her hand and led her to the door. However, he could not open it. The moment he touched the doorknob, he hissed and retrieved his hand. Millie, not understanding what was going on as fast as Alfred who was already walked back over to the window to find another exit, grabbed the doorknob tightly. It burned her skin but she bit her lip to ignore the sizzling pain and opened the door anyway. Immediately, she was pushed backwards by a heatwave that roared straight into her face. Alfred was there within seconds to close the door on the flames again.

"Why isn't there smoke coming through the vents!? We should have noticed this earlier!" yelled Alfred, grabbing Millie from the floor again before leading her to the windows.

With a stinging palm, Millie glanced back at the vent where she had propped her stuff to hide them from Alfred and the others. In that very second, she was grateful that the vent wasn't operational anymore, knowing the smoke would have suffocated them from the way those flames had been eating everything up in the hallway. Though, on the other hand, they might have smelled the smoke earlier and gotten out before the flames were so close to her door.

"Alfred!" gasped Millie as he began to urge her out of the window. "We can't jump down! That's two floors!"

"Millie, please!" pressed Alfred, keeping her in place in front of the window as she began to struggle.

A sudden creak was heard behind them, and light appeared from the door. As they turned to look, the flames licking against the door had begun to burn a hole through it. Soon, they would reach the curtains around Millie's bed, and the flames would consume them within seconds.

"Now!"

"It's okay, I've got you," Dick's voice came from the other side of the window, his masked face appearing before her suddenly. He gently grabbed her arms and hoisted her out of the window. His arms snuck around her waist holding onto her as she was instructed to hug Dick's lower body with her legs. Both he and Bruce – Robin and Batman - were hanging from the ceiling using only a wire to hold their weight. It was rather impressive, though nothing she had time to focus on.

Bruce helped Alfred out of the window, before the four of them were lowered down slowly towards the grassy ground beneath her windows. As Millie, grabbing a hold of Dick's arm, looked up towards the windows, she saw the flames suddenly exploding out through the window. Little shards of glass rained down over them and Dick lifted an arm over Millie's head to shield her from them.

They had gotten out just in time…

How either Alfred or Millie had missed that the entire mansion was on fire, Millie did not understand. Now that she was outside, moving away from the mansion for safety reasons, she saw that the entire lower part of the building had already been burning for quite some time… It was a miracle they had not noticed it.

It was a miracle nothing had collapsed under them.

A hand moved her face away from the burning building and she was met with Dick's baby blues looking her over worriedly, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine…" said Millie quietly before she quickly, and quite suddenly, embraced Dick. He tensed up, clearly not expecting the affection after the reveal of his _other_ identity. Though he still hugged her back, tightly holding her against his body. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, taking in his smell and the faint, leathery smell of Robin's suit.

Bruce coughed awkwardly, interrupting their moment. Millie turned around in Dick's arms, determined to never let him get away from her again. Perhaps it was the fact that he had just saved her life, or perhaps the fact that she, had everything gone slightly slower, would have been dead and never been able to love Dick the way she wanted – either way, she suddenly did not want to hate him anymore… Had she forgiven him? No… not really… but right then and there, she couldn't give a rat's ass about whether he was Robin or not; whether he had lied about this or not. She just wanted _him_.

Millie's decision to not keep away from him was strengthened by the fact that Dick did not let go of her either.

"Nygma wanted to kill Millie?" asked Alfred.

"He's not here," said Batman, glancing around over the grounds, the lenses on his mask lightning up. "He didn't even stay to gloat… it's not his MO."

"Something's still up," deduced Dick, his grip on Millie's waist tightening.

"The fire alarms should have gone off," stated Millie.

"Nygma could have easily turned them off," explained Dick. "Fire alarms don't stop the criminals in Gotham…"

Millie looked down at the ground.

"We should get changed before the fire brigade arrives," ordered Batman, earning a nod from Robin.

"I'm sorry I got your house burned down… You grew up here," mumbled Millie, looking away from Bruce.

He seemed rather taken aback as well by her sudden change in demeanor towards him, though he was not complaining.

"Don't worry. We'll build something prettier… Together, if you want."

Millie looked up at him again, knowing this was the moment they all silently agreed to move on. Not to forgive each other, but to move on. She had not stayed as mad as she had thought a few moments earlier, and certainly not for as long. Perhaps this hasty "forgiveness" would come back to bite them all in the back, though at the moment, she was okay with it.

She nodded her head.

"Come on," said Bruce, he and Robin leaving.

"Where are they changing?" asked Millie, missing Dick's arms around her. "The mansion's burning down with their clothes in it."

"The Batcave… There's more entrances than you think."

Millie nodded her head, her heart jumping painfully at the words 'Batcave' before she let it go. She might have moved on from the lies, but she was still not used to the new addition to Bruce and Dick's identities. In fact, it was hard to even imagine her 'father', Bruce Wayne, as Batman. Batman did flips, 'flew' over Gotham, wore a _batsuit,_ as she had just seen, during the nights. It was so strange to think about it. Truly, had she never discovered it this way and someone had told her, she would never have believed it herself.

Dick, on the other hand, was different. He was more up and about, exercising and doing the flips out in public as well. Not to mention how big his heart was, she truly was not surprised that he was doing something like this in his spare-time.

The fire brigade did arrive only five or ten minutes later, along with the police, an ambulance and some journalists. The four of them, Dick and Bruce now having returned, watched from a safe distance as the firemen worked hard and long to defeat the flames. A medic had bandaged her burned palm, telling her she would be fine as long as she kept putting some ointments on it for a few weeks and avoided writing too much with a pen. Dick had joked that no youth writes with a pen anymore, which had made the medic laugh before throwing a blanket over Millie's shoulders ("Aw, man, I wanted a blanket too! It's freezing." "Shut up.").

Finally, the chief came over to them to tell them what they had already seen with their own eyes.

The flames were gone, only some smoke still rising up into the nightsky. But their entire home was gone too. All that was left were parts of the structure that had not been entirely made out of wood. Some stairs were still standing and most of the rooms, but whatever was inside was gone. Everything was coated with ash.

The small greenhouse adjacent to the house had been completely consumed by the fire while the garage seemed pretty intact still. Millie was sure Bruce had not lost all of his cars at least – not that he couldn't buy new ones.

Though Millie had lost all her belongings. The dollhouse Bruce had bought her for her first Christmas; the pearls he had given her, Tiny her teddy… and that random small stuffed animal that someone, someone who knew her mother, had given her for her 18th birthday, were all gone. For some reason, that last object hurt the most to have lost. Now she had nothing of her past life left…

"Have you got anywhere to stay, sir?" asked the chief, earning a nod from Bruce.

"Yeah, it's going to be fine," answered Bruce monotonously. "Thank you."

The chief only nodded before making his way back over to the fire trucks and his men. Millie saw some policemen enter their burned down mansion, while the commissioner, whom Millie had not seen since Dick's family was murdered, walked over to them. Dick moved to stand beside Millie, closer to Bruce. Clearly, he was intrigued by what Gordon was going to say… or… did they know each other?

"Harvey isn't going to find anything in the rubble, right? Nothing… leathery?"

Bruce glanced over at Millie, who gawked up at him.

"No. There's no way he can find out the truth." Bruce was oddly calm about all of his, though Millie felt a fire ignite inside of her upon realizing the _commissioner already knew!_

"He knows!?"

"She knows?" asked Gordon.

"She knows now," replied Dick, glancing at Millie with sympathetic eyes.

"Yeah, just keep it from everyone but the ones close to you, yeah, that's smart _Bruce_."

Her heart sank as she realized she had used his first-name, something she had not done in a while. Though her throat had nearly closed itself on her when she tried to speak the word 'father', another fact that hurt her a lot. No, indeed she had not forgiven anyone.

"Millie-"

"No, forget about it." She threw her hands in the air, moving away from Dick, Bruce and Alfred to stand on her own. Shivering from the cold, she placed her hands in her pocket, glaring over at the others while she listened to their conversation.

"Where are you staying?"

"I've got plenty of houses. I think we'll stay at the Wayne Tower tonight, and then head over to our lake house. I – I have a feeling there's a lot we need to discuss, and it might be better away from everything that has to do with Batman," explained Bruce, the group glancing over at her.

"Might be a good idea," agreed Gordon with a little sigh. "I suppose you know who did this?"

"Nygma. He was after her all along, though I don't know his motives. Yet. He didn't stay to gloat. Didn't show off in any way… a fire is not his usual MO."

"Nygma? No, he's… usually a bit more enthusiastic. Maybe we'll find a riddle in the rubble," added Gordon before pursing his lips. "You know, I think I might know his motives. Although it's been some time since… well…"

"Nygma's known to hold grudges for stupid things. Lashing out over something that happened a long time ago is sort of his MO," added Dick.

"It's about Anna-"

"Not here." Bruce immediately grabbed Gordon's arm, guiding him away from the group. Dick went to follow, but Alfred grabbed his arm before he could.

Curiosity made her walk over to them again, staring over at Bruce and Gordon as they talked in silence away from them.

"Who's Anna?" asked Millie.

"I have no idea. But whoever she is, Bruce doesn't want us to know about her," answered Dick, while Alfred simply remained silent, a distant look on his face.

"Good to know I'm not the only one he's keeping secrets from."

Dick gave her a saddened look, "You know he was trying to protect you-"

"I do. And I get it, I suppose… It's just… annoying. And I'm sorry for lashing out, it's just…"

"Annoying," finished Dick for her with a soft smile.

"Yeah… This is literally a part of you two that I've never been allowed to know about. It's like someone suddenly telling you that they actually don't like chocolate even though they've been eating your chocolate cake for years."

"That's not at all-"

"Yes, it is. Because it feels the same. Okay, maybe like, a thousand times worse."

Silence fell over them, Alfred simply watching the two teens in front of him. Then, suddenly, without talking, Dick stretched out his hand towards Millie. She glanced up at his face, him not wavering even if she made no move to grab his hand at that moment. He simply held out his hand to her until she understood, her face softening and her hand slowly grabbing his. He intertwined their fingers before bringing her closer to him. Gently and carefully, acting as though she was a ticking bomb, he placed an arm around her. She let her head rest against his chest, enjoying the embrace even though she was still mad at him deep down… very deep down…

"Promise me one thing, okay?"

"You still trust me to keep promises?" joked Dick, even though she only glared up at him before resting her head against his chest again.

"I do. Because you never broke a promise. I mean, you didn't promise to me that you'd told me everything or that you weren't Batman and Robin… Even if my trust in you has… wavered a bit… Just… I still know you."

"You do. I'm still me," said Dick quietly. "Still the same old, goofy me. Just that, I do something a little different during the nights."

"So, promise me this," said Millie, leaning back to place her hands against his chest for emphasis. "Promise me that there is nothing else that you're keeping from me?"

Dick glanced over at Bruce, "I-I promise. But I can't vouch for Bruce."

Although she was saddened by his reply, she still felt good about it. At least she now knew, Dick would always be by her side.

Right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dick brushing a finger against her cheek. The gentle touch sent shivers down her body, and she smiled.

Right then and there, as she laced her arms around him again to hug him once more, she was sure he would always be there for her.

And in a way he always would be too. Perhaps, sometimes, a bit too much.

Alfred, watching the two embrace each other again, smiled faintly. Now, if only Bruce was this good at interacting with Millie, everything would turn out just fine again for the Waynes.


	34. 33, Hello Sis

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **33.**

* * *

 **Millie**

Bruce, without saying a word, returned to the group, leaving Gordon on his own. The commissioner himself looked unamused about something they had been discussing, which only made Millie even more curious about who Anna was.

As the group followed Bruce blindly even though he had not said a single word to them, they passed the commissioner by. He accidentally gave Millie an apologetic glance before turning away quickly when he realized Millie had seen him.

Alfred was ordered to pick a car and drive them away from the leftovers of the mansion. Upon waiting for Alfred to come around with the car, the dysfunctional family was left to wait in silence, standing over by the edge of the garden with an uncomfortable silence hanging over them. In a way they had decided to move on, but Millie knew she was still mad. Why would she not be either? But at least her anger was normal now: controllable.

She turned away to stare over at the mansion. She felt Dick's presence next to her almost immediately and she leaned her head against his upper arm for support. In return, Dick grabbed her hand.

"We grew up there…"

"Yup."

"And now it's gone…"

"Yup…"

She glanced up at him, "This night is crazy."

"Let's just hope it stays on this level of crazy… Usually our nights don't."

Millie looked back over at the smoking remains of the mansion, frowning at his words.

"I don't understand though," she said, removing her head from his upper arm while keeping their fingers intertwined. Albeit there was something strange about there being… well, two identities concerning Dick, the fact that the truth was out there now almost made Dick more comfortable around her. Not that he had not been that before, but Millie could feel he hesitated less even when Bruce was watching. Were his actions brotherly, though, or… more? Was there really an unspoken thing, like Millie hoped? "Why _is_ Nygma after me?"

"Lately we've been following his leads, cracking his riddles that only seemed to take us further away from the truth. Earlier this night, the riddle concerned you, which is why we managed to get to you so early."

"But why me?"

"Why? Well, you're Bruce Wayne's daughter. You're rich. Privileged. The beautiful face that will represent Gotham in the future instead of Bruce. What other reasons do you need?"

Her heart skipped a beat at the word 'beautiful'. He traced a finger against her jawline before, apparently, realizing what he was doing and quickly removing his hand.

"I get that Bruce sort of… represents what criminals think is a lie. But… him being rich cannot be a reason for why they hate him, right? I doubt they're that broke themselves! What with all the stealing and the illegal smuggling-"

"They're not Bruce Wayne rich, though," chuckled Dick. "Besides, they're envious. Envious that Bruce can have a calm life while also being rich, while in the meantime, they have to fight each and every minute of the day to keep their wealth and their status up. And, I suppose, some also want to get a message through to the rest of Gotham. Disturb the rich, and you disturb the upper class of this society, which, you know, does a lot to the rest of the classes while it benefits them. It's a powerplay essentially."

"And their message is-"

"I think that's quite enough lecturing on criminology, **Dick.** " Bruce's voice interrupted their conversation, and in turn also made them let go of each other's hands. Something in his voice had made them feel like children caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

Millie turned around, not missing the glare Bruce sent Dick's way at all.

"You can't keep shielding her. She knows now and she'll want to learn more of-"

"There's Alfred." Bruce cut Dick off again, pretending as though he had never heard him in the first place as he pointed towards the fancy car driving over the gravel towards them.

Millie stayed quiet, not in the mood to argue with Bruce at all. Besides, she had not really thought of why she had been asking so many questions, but a part of her was indeed rather interested in their superhero lives now that she knew… And a dangerous part of her also wanted to help out in whatever way she could. A thought she was definitely going to keep to herself for a long time, as Bruce would flip if he heard her say anything similar to that.

Getting into the car, Millie and Dick in the back and Bruce in the front with Alfred, the four of them drove through the massive crowd of journalists, cameras flashing and hurting their eyes. There had only been a few journalists there at first, but then word must have spread to the rest of Gotham. Even news channel vans could be seen, reporters standing beside them reporting on what had happened with Wayne Manor.

Several journalists were pushed and pressed against the car several times by other eager photographers, most likely denting the car - though nobody cared. At one point, a journalist had even tried to open Millie's side of the car, but Alfred and Bruce had been prepared for that trick and had locked the car doors before they had entered the crowd. One thing was for sure, Nygma had managed to make a scene and if word came out that he had started the fire, he would once more be famous in the papers. It would only encourage his work, and Millie hoped Gordon stayed quiet about things.

After a while, they finally reached the edge of the crowd, something that had only been possible with the help of the police officers who had, as well as they could, tried to push the journalists and photographers to the side so the car could pass through.

"Are you sure Wayne Tower is the most secure location right now?" asked Alfred as they drove down the dark road leading in to the city.

"I called Fox while changing clothes. He agreed with me."

"And that makes it the most secure location?" asked Alfred sassily.

"Nobody's ever broken into Wayne Tower," argued Bruce.

"Nobody's ever gotten into the manor either. But they did and they managed to almost kill Miss Wayne."

"Nygma must have used some form of electric pulse to turn off the security grid around the manor," mused Bruce.

"We should be glad they didn't find an entrance into the Batcave. If they're not done with hunting Millie, though, we could be leading them straight to the heart of where Batman gets his tech."

Bruce stayed silent, looking straight ahead while Alfred kept glancing at him. After a while of Bruce simply staying silent, Alfred sighed, "Wayne Tower it is then."

The city's lights illuminated the sky, making it impossible to see the stars one could see from the manor. Traffic was light, yet the city was big and it still took a long time to drive to the other side where Wayne Tower stood tall and proud. As they crossed Mercy Bridge, Millie thought she caught sight of several thugs standing at the side of the road just before the bridge itself.

One of them smiled widely at the car.

Things seemed to go in slow-motion as they passed them by. She locked eyes with a familiar face of a strange, short man holding an umbrella in his hand seeming to be supporting his weight on it. And as the man realized who he had locked eyes with, his smug smile faded.

And then they were gone. She tried to turn around in her seat to get a second look at them, though it was impossible and all it did was gain some strange looks from Dick and Alfred.

Bruce's phone went off as they neared the garage entrance.

"Yes? – Are you sure? – The Tower – Why are you telling me this? – Do they know? – How did she get him to join? They hate each other – Of course… should've known… - I'm well aware of that but… I might have a plan – No, I know. But if this works…" Millie caught him turning his head just the slightest towards her, almost as if he wanted to look back at her but had decided against it suddenly. "If this works, she'll be fine." He hung up abruptly, glancing at Alfred. "Get us down there."

"Who was that, sir?"

"Fox." From where Millie was sat, she could see how a muscle jumped in his jaw as he bit down hard after saying that. "He had some… interesting ideas." Everyone who knew Bruce well knew that was a sign of him lying.

"For what?"

"Something related to Batman."

The garage's entrance was underneath of the tower itself, down in a tunnel, and upon driving up towards the locked gate, it unlocked itself and opened for them. The parking lot was completely empty and Millie's footsteps echoed as she exited the car. A chill breeze and a damp air touched her face and bare arms as she stood waiting for the others to climb out of the car as well.

Bruce passed her by quietly and without looking at her, and although she was mad at him for lying, there was a part of her that felt completely horrible about his cold act towards her. It had started only after his talk with Gordon, and she wanted to know badly what had caused it. Of course she had done things wrong; she had yelled at him and probably hurt his feelings, but he never acted cold to her in return when she had been emotional in the past.

Dick was the one to awaken her from her thoughts by grabbing her hand again.

"Can I ask why?"

He glanced at her with utter confusion, their intertwined fingers warming Millie at least slightly while they followed Alfred and Bruce towards the lift.

"Why what?"

"Why are you suddenly so… touchy?"

He sighed, moving to let go of her though she quickly grabbed his arm with her other hand, looking at him seriously, "I didn't say I didn't like it…"

"I nearly lost you," he said as he relaxed. "That's why."

She watched Bruce open the lift's door by showing his face to a small camera placed beside the lift.

 _"Welcome Mr Wayne."_

The four entered and Millie looked up and around the elevator to find the source of the voice though found no indication of a speaker. The lift was covered in mirrors, what visible walls existed were made out of a sleek mahogany wood.

She watched the little sign above the doors change numbers as they moved upwards, counting from -4 all the way up to 67, where the elevator stopped and let off a ding before opening its doors.

She had been to Wayne Enterprises before and was therefore not as awestruck when she was met with the black, marble floor and the high, wooden walls as she should have been. The desk where Bruce's receptionist usually worked was empty and the lights were turned on in a dimmed fashion. Bruce suddenly sped up his speed, moving to enter his office through the giant, wooden doors first and on his own. Millie thought he looked suspicious of something, though when he did not see what he had been looking for, he opened the doors wide enough for the other three of his party to enter as well.

Soft sounds of raindrops hitting the large windows could be heard, the pitter-patter causing her to relax slightly as it reminded her of rainy nights in her bedroom; her burned down bedroom… She could not help but associate it with her time in the orphanage as well, but where the pitter-patter had also been accompanied by the sound of drops of water falling into pans from where the roof leaked water.

"I'll go grab some blankets. There should be some in the pantry down the hall, correct?" asked Alfred, earning a silent nod from Bruce who sat down behind his desk, unlocking his computer easily by letting it scan his eyes once more.

"Seriously don't see how I didn't know he had the tech and money to be Batman," whispered Millie as she and Dick watched Bruce behind his desk, staring intently at the screen in front of him.

"And the bruises, the convenient fact that Bruce and Batman have never been in the same room-"

"Alright, I get it." Millie rolled her eyes at Dick who chuckled. She turned around, away from Bruce, to be met by the painting of the Wayne family she had admired over at the manor so often. "A copy, right?"

"Yup. The original burned down," sighed Dick. "Never really liked paintings. I'm more of a picture guy."

Millie smiled at his words, all the while still staring at Martha Wayne and her hand gently touching little Bruce's shoulder. Dick must have noticed her staring as he gently nudged her.

"You look just like her." His voice was but a whisper, afraid Bruce might hear.

"I've got- had a pearl necklace as well… He gave them to me on my first ever Christmas."

"Spoiled," breathed Dick quietly, earning another glare from Millie. "I wonder what she was like."

"Not very different from you Millie."

Millie and Dick gasped before turning around, staring up at Bruce who had managed to sneak up to them without them noticing. His eyes narrowed down at Dick before he, with a forced amused smile on his lips, said, "You need to stay alert even when we're safe."

Uncomfortable, Millie moved away from the two of them, turning back to the painting.

"But we're safe-"

"Never assume anything. Have you checked every corner of this room? Have you listened?"

"Listened?" asked Dick. "Look, this is Wayne Enterprises. As you and Lucius said, there's no safer place for us to be tonight."

"Have you observed?"

Millie turned back to two of them, wondering what Bruce was hinting at. Dick seemed to be wondering the same thing, staring straight back at Bruce. It was then that it hit Millie just how much Dick had grown. Dick was still tiny compared to Bruce, but could almost stare him straight in the eyes without having to look up. His shoulders were not, and would probably never be, the same width as Bruce's, but he still looked more like a man than he had ever done when standing beside Bruce. She forced away a smile at that thought, finding it rather hot.

"I've got the blankets," interrupted Alfred, entering with his arms indeed filled with blankets. "I think Miss Millie and Master Dick should sleep on the sofas and let us elderly sleep on the floor-"

"I'm not sleeping. I'm keeping watch."

Millie thought the new variant of Bruce, the one where he did not hide who he truly was, was… enlightening. In all honesty, this seemed more like him. Dark. Protective. Riddled with pain which he buried behind walls… It fit his muscular body and slightly brooding eyes better than the version Millie had been exposed to all her life… not that she hadn't seen the broody side of Bruce.

Grabbing a blanket from Alfred and moving to one of the couches placed against the walls, Millie sat down. She worried about Bruce not getting any sleep, even though she was mad at him, but yet she was also afraid of what _Batman_ was worried about.

"Sir, I thought you said this was the safest place to be at-"

"Alfred, do you remember the day I told you about Al and how he had managed to lock himself in the Wayne Tower after he had fallen asleep at the desk?" asked Bruce.

"I do, sir."

"What day was that?"

"Yesterday, sir."

"Indeed…" mumbled Bruce, gesturing Alfred over to the desk and the computer. Dick went to follow though was ordered to stay with Millie instead.

She began feeling even more worried, knowing Bruce was keeping something from them. And as Alfred stared at the computer with Bruce, his face switching from confusion to one so monotone that Millie knew he was faking it to hide some other emotion, she began to truly worry. Her leg shook, moving up and down in a frantic way as she stared at Bruce and Alfred. Dick sat down next to her, though even as he grabbed her hand, she did not calm down.

Something was off, and her mind went back to the man and the umbrella… Umbrella… The faded smile… The thugs…

"Don't worry. You'll be alright."

Dick had sat down next to her, watching her clutching onto the blanket she held in her arms as she stared at Alfred and Bruce.

"Was the fire all Nygma was up to?"

As he did not answer, Millie glanced over at him. To her horror, she saw realization dawn upon him, as though he had not really thought about that. Millie didn't quite know the Riddler apart from what she had read about him in the papers. He seemed insane. But was fire his MO? Was it 'crazy' enough?

He noticed her looking at him, and immediately put on a smile. But she had seen it. That look. If Robin the Boy Wonder was worried… Shouldn't she be too?

"Gordon?"

Bruce and Alfred had been whispering things to each other for a while, but Alfred had suddenly exclaimed Gordon's name. Upon Alfred's accidental exclamation, Bruce shushed him before the two continued to whisper. For a while they continued like that, another silence falling over the office of Bruce until Alfred straightened up, an angry look on his face;

"If you knew, why'd you make us come here!?"

Alfred looked furious, stomping away from Bruce and, in an angry movement, shaking all the blankets off of him so they fell in a heap on the floor.

"I'm taking Miss Millie to the lake house and I don't care how long it takes for us to get there. At least she'll be safe."

With a stiff movement, Alfred gestured Millie over to him. She quickly stood up. One did not deny one of Alfred's orders when he was in a mood. Though just as she was at least a meter away from him, the lights went out and the room turned pitch black.

She gasped, hearing Dick cry out her name. Some mediocre light came in through the windows, though it was not enough to light the part of the room Millie was in. Two hands grabbed her from affront, and Alfred shushed her as she gasped again. Luckily it had only been him.

Suddenly, one of the spotlights above was turned on. Though instead of the normal light it usually had, it was colored a mysterious green color, and its light was so intense and direct, that it only illuminated one circle below it. It began to dance around the room, searching for people.

 _"Now you have found the knights of the round table."_

A scrambled, dark voice began to read slowly and darkly. The spotlight found Dick and he looked up, shielding his eyes. Though Dick was not the person the light had wanted to find, and so it continued its search, leaving Dick in the darkness once more. Millie pressed herself against Alfred.

 _"And done my bidding just as asked."_

The light continued to dance.

"Millie, get out of here!" exclaimed Bruce's voice.

 _"As promised I will give you the part, that will reveal the last of my illustrious chart."_

The spotlight moved over the desk where Bruce had been before, though Bruce was not there anymore. Millie looked around, trying to see through the dark though only failing horribly.

 _"Find the daughter of Gotham, oh sooo pretty…"_

The spotlight was two meters away from them…

 _"And prevent what the knights once wanted of the son of this city."_

One meter away… Alfred turned around, noticing the spotlight all too late…

 _"And you, Dark Knight, may just save a life."_

The spotlight felt warm as it burned down on them. Alfred still had an arm around Millie's shoulders and the two looked up towards it. A crude laugh suddenly resonated through the speakers.

 _"Well? What did you think? I made that poem for a very special person in my life… Pity he can't be here, or he might actually be able to save your life, Millie Wayne."_

"Nygma?" she asked.

 _"Ding-ding-ding! Ten points to Miss Wayne!"_

"How did you-?"

 _"How did I what? Get into the most secure building in all of Gotham?"_ Another laugh resonated throughout the office. The mic had stopped scrambling the voice now, and a strange voice she had never heard was now speaking to her. _"Why, my dear, that was easy! After all, I_ am _the smartest man alive. Not even Mr Wayne's silly little firewalls could hold me back. Ha!"_

"You had Al stay in here to copy security codes, didn't you?" asked Alfred.

Silence was Alfred's only answer.

Another pair of hands suddenly touched Millie, though it was only Dick who had moved over towards the light to stand by her other side.

"Or maybe he planted something for you?"

A crude, yet slightly more nervous and annoyed laugh, was his only answer.

 _"Well, well, well. The butler isn't all just English accent and tea. How… **annoying** … Well, it doesn't matter how I got in. What matters is that I _am _in."_ Clearly, Nygma didn't like it when his plans weren't smart enough for nobody to guess it right so quickly.

"What do you want?" asked Dick, staring up at the ceiling, unsure of where else to look.

His hand tightened its hold on her arm, awaiting an answer from the Riddler.

 _"I want Miss Wayne, of course!"_

"But why!?" she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears. "What have I ever done to you?"

Another laugh echoed against the walls.

 _"Oh no, I'm not the one that wants you. I just get the satisfaction of watching the most beloved, angelic Miss Wayne die."_

The large doors of the office opened up, revealing a couple of people entering. However, seeing as the lights were out in the office and the lights in the corridor were still on, their faces were clouded in shadows and Millie had still not gotten any answers. The green spotlight was shut off and Millie was left standing in the darkness, pressed between Dick and Alfred. Her hands were shaking, though she did not notice it. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins and causing her to only focus on the people entering the office.

A soft click was heard, indicating to Millie that someone had used the light-switch. The lights above them slowly turned on and the intruders' faces were revealed. Two of the people, large men wearing black, white and grey clothes with a strange symbol the shape of a penguin on them, she did not recognize. The other two… she _did_ recognize.

One of them was clearly the Penguin himself, standing there with an evil smirk on his face and most of his weight supported on his signature umbrella. He wore a fancy suit with golden buttons on it and a small, purple handkerchief in his breast pocket. Her blood ran cold when she realized this man, the Penguin, had been the one to lock eyes with her before Mercy Bridge. If her brain had worked faster…

Beside him stood the one person Millie had thought she would not see that evening. There, wearing revealing black and white clothes, and aiming a pistol at the three of them, was Elaine.

"Hello sis."


	35. 34, Two To Arkham

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **34.**

* * *

 **Millie**

"Back off." Alfred's warning reached deaf ears as the Penguin and Elaine both moved forwards; one hobbled, one walked elegantly and with confidence. The two brutes stayed behind, pulling out weapons which they pointed at Alfred and Dick, not Millie.

Thinking quickly, Dick turned his face towards Millie, whispering a sentence in her ear which she had never thought she would feel relieved to hear.

"Bruce is Batman."

Albeit it was random, Millie immediately realized what he meant. Bruce was nowhere to be seen. He had managed to get out of the office before the Penguin and Elaine had arrived, which meant that the Batman would soon be there, saving her ass for the second time that night.

It was Dick's way of reassuring Millie she would be alright, and funnily enough, that sentence actually made her calmer. She nodded her head, grabbing his hand for more support.

Penguin pried Alfred's hands off of Millie, Elaine pushing him away from her with surprising strength before one of the brutes walked forwards and pointed his gun more intently towards Alfred, forcing him to stay in place. Dick was easier to remove from Millie as he was rather calm, probably confident that Bruce would soon be there. Though it was Millie's fingers holding onto Dick that served as a challenge for Cobblepot. Only when the second brute pointed a gun directly at Dick's head did Millie let go.

Elaine went to grab Millie once she was standing on her own, though she hesitated. Her once confident and evil façade suddenly faded into a conflicted one. Instead, the Penguin grabbed Millie with force, forcing her to walk in front of him and out of the office. Millie managed to glance back at Dick once before the doors were shut behind them. The two brutes quickly barricaded the door just seconds before Alfred and Dick began to bang against it, though there was no way for them to get out. Penguin laughed at their attempts before leading them all towards the elevator.

"What do you want with me?" she asked quietly, directing her question towards Penguin.

He only scoffed, however, at her question before pushing her inside the elevator, the others trailing behind.

Silence filled the elevator as it quietly began to descend back down. Static was heard from Penguin's pocket and he quickly took out a walkie-talkie.

"Yes?"

Millie caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, seeing how pathetic she was just standing there with her kidnappers, not doing anything, not defending herself. Hell, the brutes had even stopped pointing their guns at her, not even bothering to keep an eye on her.

Though what was she supposed to do? All four of them were definitely armed and the brutes would shoot her down within seconds of her moving towards either the Penguin or Elaine… Not only that, but Elaine was her sister… she couldn't… she wouldn't… right?

 _"Did you get her?"_

Penguin rolled his eyes, " **Yes**."

 _"Good. We've got company. I gotta run."_

Penguin exchanged a look with Elaine. "You said you'd keep a look-out until we're out-"

 _"That was before- urgh-"_

Static was heard from the other line, causing the Penguin and Elaine to exchange yet another glance.

"Ed? Nygma? RIDDLER?"

"The bat…" breathed Elaine, looking up at the ceiling as though expecting him to drop down on them upon naming him. Millie furrowed her brow at the fear… it wasn't like he was Voldemort.

In a fit of rage, the Penguin threw the walkie-talkie down to the floor, shattering it in the process. He hobbled towards the controls, hitting the button marked P over and over again as though it would make the elevator go faster.

"STUPID THING!"

Millie backed away from the raging man, her back hitting the cool mirror there.

"Shit," hissed Elaine. "We-We gotta just keep our cools and continue with the plan without Ed. We've got her. I'm not losing now!"

"Without Ed, we don't have a second pair of eyes! We won't see him coming for us! And I've still got bruises from the last time I went toe-to-toe with the Bat!"

A bit of spit was sent Elaine's way as the Penguin was shouting frantically at her, though she seemed used to it, simply waiting until he was done yelling in response to her question before continuing to talk, calmly.

"We've got my sister. He isn't going to do anything to us if we have her. Remember, he doesn't kill."

Elaine glared over at Millie, grabbing her by the sleeves and pushing her in front of both herself and the Penguin.

"Meaning, we use her as our shield."

Something told Millie both Elaine and Penguin were smirking at each other over that plan. She, however, couldn't help but feel it was a cruel and stupid plan. But that didn't mean the fear in her heart didn't increase upon them announcing this. What if… what if Batman wasn't the way the papers described him? But no, Bruce would never hurt her to get to the criminals. No… not at all…

With scared eyes, Millie glanced between the grunts and their weapons, and the numbers counting down above the elevator doors. Elaine's grip on her was… strange. She felt drawn to her sister in a way she had never thought was possible. It was as if her mind was reaching out to Elaine… most likely, it was the result of Millie's worry for her sister and her never ending hope of wanting to help Elaine… but it still felt odd.

A throbbing ache appeared in her frontal lobe, and from the way she saw Elaine suddenly rub her forehead through the reflection of the many mirrors in that elevator, Millie deduced she felt the same ache. It was not a headache but more of a… pinch. As though something was trying to _move_.

"Mark, Pete, be ready," ordered Cobblepot.

Millie found herself focusing solely on the numbers counting down the levels. Anything to try and forget about that strange ache.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

0.

"Fucking finally…" murmured Elaine.

"What do you want with me?" she asked again.

-0.

"Revenge."

-1.

-2.

"Revenge? What have I ever done to hurt the Penguin's crew-"

"Not him. _My_ revenge!"

*Ding*

With a forceful push, Millie was forced out of the elevator first. Bruce's fancy car was still parked in the same place though another car had joined it in the garage; a large van with a brand on it. It was a refrigerator company, much to her surprise. She had seen those vans all around Gotham actually. What was it doing here?

She was forced to walk over to the van by two rough hands on her shoulders. One hand belonging to Elaine and one hand belonging to the Penguin. Something cold was held against her back, and she realized it was Elaine's pistol. A few heartstrings broke at the thought of her dear sister actually aiming a gun at her.

The brutes with the weapons walked behind them all, backwards so that their bosses' backs were protected as well.

"Mark, do you see anything?"

"Nothing," replied one of the brutes.

"I think it's clear. If he got to Riddler, he's at least five stories above us-"

"Don't underestimate the Bat, _Pete_ ," shot the second brute.

"Yes, boss," replied the brute with a monotonous voice.

Suddenly, a few of the lights in front of them turned off. Both Elaine and the Penguin stopped walking, pushing themselves behind Millie. Most other people being used as a human shield would have been terrified, though Millie was feeling rather calm. She knew the Batman did not kill, and she knew Bruce would never hurt her anyway… Perhaps it was not that bad to know of his secret after all. She was a little panicked something might go wrong, but not as panicked as she would have been if she did not know the man inside the black leather armor.

Mark lifted his weapon up, aiming it at the darkness ahead of him. It was not a pressing darkness and one could still see through it yet Mark still seemed intend to suddenly find the Batman appearing somewhere randomly. Pete simply aimed at whatever shadow he saw moving.

 **"You're going back to Arkham, Penguin."**

The unnaturally dark voice came from all around them, causing Mark to spin around with his weapon, earning a gasp from Millie as he, for a split second, aimed the gun at her.

"Never!" screamed the Penguin, his grip on her shoulder tightening even more. "Walk."

Millie did as he commanded, continuing to slowly walk towards the van.

 **"Let the girl go."** Once more, the voice seemed to come from everywhere and Mark did the same mistake again, turning around on the spot to check where the voice had come from, but failing in the end.

Penguin let out a growl, suddenly letting go of Millie. Elaine did the same. Though her freedom only lasted for a few seconds as suddenly, something cold was pressed against her neck. It bit and nipped at her skin, forcing her to lean away from it until she was met with something sturdy yet still squishy behind her; she was leaning against the Penguin's chest. His fishy yet also sweet scent reached her nostrils.

"No! Don't kill her yet!" exclaimed Elaine before the Penguin moved his other arm viciously, though Millie had no idea what he was doing. Her focus was now only on the blade against her throat, dangerously close to her veins. As he moved, the blade nipped at her skin again and she whimpered, fear finally taking over.

"If you let us go, we won't hurt her! We'll even let her go!"

"What?" hissed Elaine before being shushed by the Penguin.

"We promise!"

Penguin began to walk and although he limped, the hand holding the blade against her throat did not move. It felt gracious of him, and she was grateful he was gracious in that sense, otherwise the blade would have cut her throat a long time ago. One hand was directed to her shoulder again though it was different from before. She knew it was Penguin's hand, seeing as it was larger than Elaine's, but it was not as rough as before. As he guided her towards the van, the hand felt almost comforting. He was not grasping onto her shoulder for protection or any other reason. Instead his fingers lay calmly and soothingly against her shoulder, pressing only lightly down on it. It was odd how such a strange, freaky man could still hold such grace and… care.

They were close to the van now and they had stepped into the darkness. Though Millie was sure they were never going to reach the van…

And she had been right.

A dark figure suddenly landed on the top of the van with a thud that echoed against the concrete walls and pillars of the garage. He leaved a large dent in the car's roof. Immediately, Mark and Pete began to fire though the dark figure's suit was strong enough to simply have the bullets ricochet off of him. His cape hugged his back tightly and he bowed his head slightly, glaring menacingly down at the thugs behind Millie. She let out a relieved breath at the sight of Batman while Oswald whimpered.

With confident steps, the Batman jumped down from the van and in one swift movement he had managed to throw something at Mark, causing him to reach towards his neck where a bat-shaped piece of metal had struck his skin. With a sigh, Mark hit the floor and fell unconscious. Within a second, Batman had mirrored his past movement which this time successfully took out Pete as well.

Immediately, the Penguin reacted, though not in the way any other criminally insane man would have done. Instead of using the blade that was already there at her throat, pressing and waiting to kill; the Penguin let the blade fall to the floor before he pushed Millie so hard she was literally thrown into the Batman's arms. Taken aback by the move, Bruce staggered backwards slightly as he steadied them both. Though things were not over yet.

Elaine let out an angered yell directed towards the Penguin before she threw herself at Batman, knife in her hand. Bruce pushed Millie away from him and out of reach for Elaine before he began blocking Elaine's futile attempts to cut the Batman, wearing her out.

In the meantime, Millie could see the Penguin stumble away from the fight and towards the van, keys in his hand. Millie wanted to shout something so Bruce would catch him, though her voice would not work. Her mind only remembered the soothing hand on her shoulder and for some reason she could not bring herself to stop him…

When Elaine indeed began to get tired, Bruce knocked her out with a simple punch directed at her nose. She fell to the ground unconscious, some blood dripping down her left cheek. The van started and drove off past Batman, though he made no move to follow the Penguin.

"Aren't you going to go after him?" asked Millie quietly.

"I have his three most loyal thugs. He's weak and easy to take down somewhere in the future," explained Bruce, his voice scrambler still on.

With a quick turn, causing his cape to flow beautifully behind him, he walked over to her and checked her for any injuries, moving her chin up to investigate the tiny wound Penguin had managed to inflict on her throat.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Millie simply shook her head, glancing down at Elaine as she shrugged off Bruce's hands. "All this time…" Whatever thought Millie had wanted to express disappeared from her mind when her eyes locked onto her sister's relaxed face. She recognized her sleeping form from the nights at the orphanage. So vulnerable…

Slowly, she walked over to her unconscious twin-sister, crouching down in front of her.

"I wonder why…"

Bruce cleared his throat, "Clearly she's been driven mad. No reason to go poking about in the reasons."

Millie glanced over at Bruce, watching him handcuff Mark and Pete before moving over to Elaine.

"What will happen to her now?"

"She'll most likely play the insane card and be taken to Arkham. Both thugs will be taken to Blackgate, however."

"Unless they play the insane card too?"

"They won't. Their boss will have told them that it's easier for them to go there. Safer for them and easier for him to get them out. Elaine, on the other hand, is different. Her status-"

"She's got status? As what?"

Bruce stayed silent.

The elevator door opened, revealing Alfred and Robin (where had Dick gotten his suit?). Robin pushed a handcuffed, green clad man out of the elevator. Millie figured this was most likely the Riddler as his tie was riddled with question marks. This meant that Robin had either taken out the Riddler himself, or he had managed to help the Batman at some point.

Nygma looked absolutely enraged and… devastated. Much to Millie's surprise, Nygma made sure he was pushed down to the ground right next to Elaine, and, seeing Elaine was unconscious, his face relaxed into a worried look. His arm tried to move towards her, but Robin had already handcuffed him. This seemed to enrage him and a frown appeared on his face.

"Why?"

Alfred walked over to her, investigating her the same way Bruce had done before to see so she had no big injuries. She didn't push his hands off of her, but let him help her up to her feet and away from Nygma who was glancing at Millie curiously.

"Did they mention anything?" asked Robin, his eyes on Millie.

"Nothing… Well, El said something about revenge. But that was it. She never explained why she wanted revenge on me."

"Maybe she blames you for something…"

"The question is what," added Millie, exchanging a look with Robin.

"No need to dwell on that," Alfred chimed in, looking equally as uncomfortable as Bruce had done before, "You're safe now. That's what matters."

Nygma laughed at that. As he looked away from Elaine, his worried face turned into an angry scowl, "Safe? Don't make me laugh…"

Millie glared at him, walking forwards. She was surprised to find Nygma actually lean back, away from her. Not in disgust… but… No, she could not determine why. Either way, as she crouched down in front of him, his anger dissipated slightly as well.

"Shut up," she told him with confidence before standing back up again, turning back to the others, "This was supposed to be the most secure building in the city. Where are we going now?"

 **Bruce**

"Thanks, Jim," said Bruce, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"It's not as fancy as any of your homes… But it's better than nothing. Wife's not home anyway and Barbara would kill me if I didn't help her friends."

"Where is she?"

"Sleepover." Jim rubbed a hand over his sleepy face, "I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time. But they had put triggers on the garage doors. All car batteries were drained when we tried to leave the precinct. Took us a damn hour to find those generators…"

"It's okay. Just make sure something like that can't happen again. Gotham needs the police to be there as well."

The two men watched as Alfred handed both Millie and Dick a blanket each. There only existed one sofa in Jim's apartment, and after many discussions and arguments, Millie had been forced to take the sofa after Dick had come with the winning argument about how she had already been through two near-death experiences and could use some comfort. Jim would sleep in his own bed, even if Jim had offered to give it up too. Alfred, Bruce and Dick would have to sleep on the floor during the remainder of the night.

Dick lay down next to the sofa, staring up at where Millie was already dozing off. Alfred walked past the two youngsters to join Jim and Bruce in the kitchen area. Immediately, Jim handed Alfred a cup of tea which he gratefully accepted, sipping it as though it was his way to heaven.

Bruce remained staring at Dick's and Millie's figures. Exactly what he felt when he saw them glance at each other and smile, he wasn't sure of. One thing he was sure of was that when Millie reached down to Dick's hand and he took it gingerly to hold until she fell asleep, Bruce couldn't help but smile warmly.

"What are you gonna do now?"

"We'll take a 'small vacation'. Go to the lakehouse for a while and then maybe to Switzerland. In the meantime, I'll have a new mansion built on a piece of land not far away from the original mansion."

His eyes remained glued to Dick as he lifted her hand up to rest next to Millie's body again. She was fast asleep now, yet her fingers curled around his automatically anyway, preventing him from getting his hand back again.

"You're not going to rebuild the mansion?"

Bruce sighed, looking away from the two youngsters finally, "That building was built by my father. I can't… It doesn't feel right to meddle with it. I'm going to leave it the way it is. And build my own mansion."

Jim raised his eyebrows at that, mentioning something about some people having too much money before another question popped up in his mind.

"Why were they after her? I get that she's a Wayne now, but, why her?"

"Cobblepot knows. I saw he didn't want to kill Millie. And there is no way he has not recognized the twins by now."

"Which only makes me wonder more…" added Jim with wide eyes.

"It was Elaine's plan… But why Cobblepot agreed to it, I don't know."

"Her sister wants to kill her but not Cobblepot?" asked Jim for clarification.

"I think Elaine blames Millie for what happened to her. Maybe she's jealous… Whatever the reason, it won't matter now. Elaine's going to Arkham with Nygma. We won't hear from her again."

Jim and Alfred exchanged a look.

"Not to be like that, Master Wayne, but a lot of criminals get out of Arkham. It's the most corrupt place in Gotham-"

"I'm working on it. Tomorrow, I'll announce a new fund that will be directed towards the asylum. More money will make it easier to keep security up and give better treatment. Elaine will not get out."

"You think looking Elaine up to keep them separate will help?" At his question, Bruce looked over at Jim but did not answer. He couldn't… his throat swelled up and his chest hurt when he tried. "Bruce, you can't keep lying to the girl."

"If it is what I have to do to keep her safe, I will."

Jim was taken aback by Bruce's bluntness and all he and Alfred could do was watch Bruce walk away from them, grabbing a blanket of his own before joining Dick on the floor.

"This isn't going to end well," deduced Jim.

"I know…" sighed Alfred.


	36. 35, Candygram

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **35.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

Eyes cast down, Elaine was sitting in an almost empty room. The walls were grey and close upon her; a desk in front of her with an empty chair on the opposite side waiting for her interrogator to return to. She felt numb inside and unknowingly to her, she had not blinked for over ten minutes, not since the Commissioner had left.

Her mind replayed scenes in her head: Memories of her time in the orphanage. Eyes almost identical to her own were staring back at her, the crinkles around them showing Millie was laughing at something Elaine had said. She herself did not enjoy the joke, but she knew Millie would and had therefore memorised it just for her sister. Her brain filled with intoxicating happiness when Millie was happy. She herself could not feel much. She never had. But Millie could and when Millie felt something, Elaine felt something. There was a connection. And yet, even with their connection, Millie had still abandoned her. Left her to stay with those crooks; left her to be 'trained' by Dent; left her to be poor while she lived in plenty while fucking that blue eyed boy the Waynes had taken in.

Leaving her to feel nothing.

The Commissioner entered the room again, sighing at the sight of Elaine still just… staring. Her memories switched, disturbed by the presence in the room. But Elaine was not ready to let it go, so she ignored the Commissioner's presence and stayed put in her catatonic state.

The eyes moved away from her, revealing Millie's full form. A little child, sitting on her desolate bed. Pans were stocked up around the furniture, catching the rain water falling down from the roof. Elaine reached out a hand towards Millie, handing her a little teddy bear she had stolen from one of the other kids – a bullied boy named Thomas. The spoiled boy had cried so much when she had taken it from his hands but had stopped once Elaine had stuffed the baby's face with little blocks.

She had controlled him.

It had felt good.

Millie smiled again, and Elaine's heartstrings were pulled. A pull could be felt in her forehead and she craved to reach out further and just… merge… hug her sister until she felt what Millie felt; until she _was_ Millie.

"Do you hear me?"

 _"I'm gonna call him Tiny."_

 _"What a stupid name."_

 _"I like it…"_

 _"Okay. Then I like it."_

"Fuck off." The Commissioner looked a little taken back. "What? Not used to seeing this face telling you to fuck off? Maybe I should say something else? Um… what about 'go fuck yourself'. Or! Even better – go suck a-"

"Alright! I get it." She just smirked at him, still annoyed that he had disturbed her path down memory lane. "Why? Why'd you do it? Attempted murder. Assault on a police building _and_ Wayne Tower. All in league with the worst of the worst. Why?"

Oh did she have many reasons for him. But she had to play this smart. None of her closer allies were really insane. But she had once met some who had been – apart from Dent. The Joker and Harley. So if she acted like them… surely she could get away? Or at least get herself into Arkham where it was easier to get out.

"The voices told me to do it." She licked her lips seductively, nodding her head at her own words. The Commissioner frowned at her, but it was not enough of a reaction for her to have secured her passage to Arkham. "You wanna know what they have to say to me now?"

"What?"

"That I should – " she stopped midsentence, looking over at a corner of the room with an as void look as she could pull off. Her lips parted slightly and she began to whisper incoherent words. Unprofessionally so, Gordon leaned forwards to hear what she was whispering, and that was when she snapped at him. Inches away from his skin, she clasped her teeth together, knowing fully well that she could have actually done harm if she had wanted to.

And she wanted to as well… but figured threatening him was enough to secure a passage to Arkham. It was strange to restrain herself so, but not hurting him meant she had more time with him to convince the commissioner of her 'state of mind'.

He pulled back instantly and watched as she put on a show; laughing as manically as she could at his facial expression. This was not her MO. She just hoped he did not know that.

As her laughter faded out, she began to hum quietly, _"Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of Saint Clemens…"_

* * *

Two days later, Elaine was walking behind Ed. Both were being guided through the seemingly never-ending corridors of the smelly asylum she had now found herself in, guards all around them. They had put a mouth gag on her to keep from biting while her wrists were painfully tied behind her back in a pair of handcuffs not even Killer Croc would be able to get out of. Nygma was treated equally as bad, only they had gagged him to keep him from speaking.

She wasn't sad anymore. Hell, there was an 80% chance of her getting out from this corrupt place after all. What had she to be sad about? No, instead she felt hopeful. Or, she imagined that the faint bit of feeling inside of her was hope. Emotions had never really been her thing.

Hope of getting out and hitting that stupid little man who had left her alone; who had gone against the plan she had been working on so hard those past couple of months, combined with the hope of those good statistic of her getting out was enough for her to hum her lullaby happily as she moved along the corridors.

"Your cells will be ready soon. In the meantime, enjoy what's left of the rec-room," said the orderly as the guards guided them both inside of a barred up, large room. Everywhere, guards with batons patrolled the bars, watching intensely what the patients were doing.

Both Ed and Elaine were uncuffed and ungagged before they were locked inside the large cage – the rec room.

"Oh great… Back here again," mumbled Ed, walking over to a table where two patients were playing chess. He glared at them until they gave in and scurried away, leaving him with the chess board. He glanced at her, gesturing towards the empty seat, though she was not in the mood for games.

Yet, she knew no one else. There were some familiar faces there from the streets. She was sure she saw the Mad Hatter sitting in a corner, whispering to himself while stroking his hat-less head. Dent was there as well, sitting quietly while glowering at her… she wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to him either… So, she began to move towards Ed.

The room consisted of a couple of sofas, a lot of benches and tables for patients to sit around, and a lot of board games. There was one TV which one of the patients was dominating, watching the news with wide eyes.

"Are these all the patients?" asked Elaine quietly.

"No," replied Ed, watching as she sat down a little away from the chess board, silently declining to play with him. "They keep the more dangerous ones away from this room unless they've been on their best behaviour for a while. This whole thing is part of the 'therapy' we get."

"Oh…"

Ed continued to explain how the asylum worked, though Elaine couldn't bother to listen to him. The man was too invested in his own words to even notice Elaine turning away from him to stare at the TV.

The news that was being shown… distracted her. Much to her distaste, Bruce Wayne was talking about something in front of a group of journalists. The title said something about Mr Wayne offering money to the asylum along with a plan for the Warden to renew certain parts of the asylum to make it safer and better. She scoffed at him, glad she didn't have to see her sister's face at least.

She wondered where Bruce himself had been that night…

"When I get out of here…" she began, causing Ed to glance over at her, a little annoyed to be interrupted. He watched as she tugged at the hem of her white shirt. "I'm gonna kill that skank of a sister of mine."

Her eyes slowly moved over to look at him, and Ed smiled widely at her, "Good. A goal's all that's going to keep you sane in this place."

 **At the Lake House**

Three months had passed since Elaine had been arrested and put into Arkham after a three day evaluation of her psyche. Millie had not talked much since it had happened, only watching the news or reading articles about the whole incident. Both Bruce and Dick were worried about her, trying their best to get her to talk, though since there were some hateful feelings left between at least Bruce and Millie, it was hard to get her to talk.

They had retreated to the lake house, a couple of miles away from Gotham. Each morning, Dick and Bruce would exercise together outside by the lake, feeling Millie's eyes on them from her bedroom window. Dick looked up once, seeing her standing by the window, staring straight at him and Bruce. He had waved at her, and, surprisingly so, she had reacted, placing her hand against the window in return. When Bruce had said something to Dick and forced him to briefly look away, she had walked away already when Dick looked back up towards the window again.

During the days, Millie would stay on the couch, reading and watching the news. In an attempt to make her talk to him, Dick had changed the channel once, smirking his signature smirk at her when she looked at him in surprise. However, instead of her reacting to him or talking to him, she grabbed her papers and walked away quietly, ignoring his few attempts to start a conversation.

Bruce had watched, Millie passing him by without even glancing at him. Bruce had given Dick a sorrowful shrug when he had looked back at Bruce in the doorway.

The fourth day, during dinner, Bruce had attempted to ask Millie about her job and future plans (Graduation was coming up after all), though she had only shrugged. Albeit the shrug was a good sign, meaning she was not avoiding either of them to the same point anymore, she had still not opened her mouth.

Later that evening when she had startled Alfred in the kitchen by managing to sneak in and grab a glass of water without him noticing, Alfred made a joke about how she truly was a Wayne, managing to sneak around like that. Though she had not responded. Briefly, she had looked at him, but said nothing nor showed any sign that she had heard him. Again, later that evening, Alfred found the glass back in the kitchen. She had once again managed to sneak around without him noticing.

The fifth day, Millie did not show up for breakfast, lunch or dinner. She remained cooped up in her room, staring at her hands as she fidgeted nervously with the bands of her nails. A pack of band-aids was lying in front of her on the covers, and each time she would draw blood from her nervous picking at her nails, she would casually place a band-aid on the finger before moving on to the next.

She was worried; worried about where her mind was taking her. She kept replying over and over again what Elaine had said to her about revenge, and she tried her best to understand… but couldn't. Not only that, but the ache in her forehead and that strange pull… she wanted to figure it all out.

However, her main priority was Elaine and gaining her trust. She was locked up now, getting help, but she doubted a stranger could help Elaine get a grip on her life. Yes, even after all Elaine did, Millie still wanted to help her. She did wonder what was wrong with her for thinking like that… but she figured it was just a naïve sense of hope that she, quite honestly, didn't want to lose. It was what defined her from her sister. It was what she clung to in order to remain her own persona.

And what could Millie do to gain her sister's trust? Well, she figured the best way was to continue her work of finding out more about their past; their parents. All her research had no doubt burned in the fire. But… they were in a vent.

A vent where, possibly, the fire hadn't reached it..?

She slapped a hand against her thigh, annoyed that she was so far away from the leftovers of the mansion so that she couldn't check it out; annoyed that she didn't have a driving license so she could steal Bruce's car. That had been her first idea, which was why she had been training herself to be quiet and sneak around. Once she could sneak past Alfred without him noticing, she felt confident enough to go through with it, but ended up hesitating as she reached for the keys as she realized she didn't know how to drive a stick – or how to drive at all for that matter.

And then, that very morning, a new idea hit her. Dick didn't have a license and yet he drove a motorcycle – or rather, Robin did. But they were the same people now…

So, how hard would it be for her to learn herself?

She glanced to the side, seeing the keys to the motorcycle she had snatched from Dick's coat as he had been sleeping. They were lying openly on her nightstand table… though the sight of them and knowing that she was stealing from _Dick_ made it… so much harder.

And yet… she had to go.

Biting her cheek and drawing some blood, she grabbed the keys, put on a coat and some shoes, and left out through the door. The lake house was small compared to what they were all used to, so there was no garage. One car and Dick's motorcycle were parked right by the front door.

It was so easy…

"Damn…" she cursed under her breath as she felt how heavy the motorcycle was. Searching the vehicle for the keyhole, she turned away from the front door for a second or two, leaving enough time for Dick to slip out, lean against the doorway and watch her until she felt his eyes on her.

Gasping in surprise, she let go of the motorcycle and it tipped over, hitting the gravel below. Dick raised his eyebrows, putting his hands in his coat… his leather coat; the one he used whenever he would go for a drive.

"We stealing now?" He cleared his throat as he began casually walking over to her. She remained silent, not sure what to say but also not sure if her voice still worked after three months of silence. He picked the motorcycle up with one hand, blue eyes looking over at her expectantly. Before she knew it, he was reaching out a hand to her, and she lowered her head as she placed the keys in his palm. "Where were you off to?"

"The Manor."

He pursed his lips, seemingly deep in thought, "Why?" As she remained silent, he sighed, "Don't do this. Don't push _me_ away."

The emphasis on the pronoun made her quickly look up at him, suddenly feeling a little ashamed. Was she not the one who had been grateful for surviving that fire so she could love him?

Pushing him away was not loving him…

Mirroring what he had done that day in front of the smoking remains of their childhood home, she gently reached out a hand to him. He took it without hesitating, his eyes alarmed at the distress in her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek at his determined action; dear God let this not be sibling love.

"I need her to trust me. And I can't do that without _knowing_."

"Knowing what?" he asked. Their fingers were still intertwined.

"Knowing what she doesn't – our parents. I need to figure it out so I can present that to her and so that she can trust me and let me help her."

"She pointed a gun at you three months ago." His words were rational, and they worded exactly what her other half was screaming at her as well. But… still. "Okay." Somehow, he had read her thoughts. She watched him glance up at the windows on the second floor, though the darkness made it impossible to see through them.

She frowned.

"I'll help. Whatever you need." He squeezed her hand and for the first time in three months… she smiled. "You were gonna ride this thing on your own?"

"Silly, wasn't it?"

"You betcha." She joined him, pulling herself near him while hugging him around his waist. The motorcycle's engine vibrated and she bit her lip. "Don't bother putting on a helmet. I never crash." She imagined he was smirking at his words, but she just rolled her eyes – though she trusted him anyway.

 **Bruce**

Bruce sighed as he watched Dick glance up at him. Most likely he couldn't see Bruce lurking there; watching. But Dick knew he was there. And before Bruce could even react, the two youngsters had jumped on the bike and rode off.

His lips parted. He blinked twice. And then his brain registered what had just happened.

Rob- **Richard** had gone against his order.

"Damnit Dick…" he mumbled under his breath, quickly pulling out his phone.

 _"Bruce?"_

"Barbara, I need you to do something for me." He brushed a hand through his already messy hair.

 _"Right. What is it?"_

"Make your way over to Wayne Manor and check for booby traps."

 _"You coming back already?"_

"No. But Millie might be. She'll have Dick with her, but I'm not comfortable anyway."

 _"Alright. I'll check it out. But, Bruce, I can only do so much. I've got a lead on the Joker and I gotta follow it tonight."_

"That's fine. I just need you to check once. Dick will make sure she's kept safe."

 _"Bye, Bruce."_

"Stay safe, Barbara."

Alfred watched him end the call and put the phone back down in his pocket.

"Don't, Alfred..."

"Don't what? Say that you're putting her in imminent danger-"

"I tried to stop her-"

"No, you didn't. You had someone else stop her. You could have just as easily walked out there and marched her right back in. You're her _father,_ Bruce."

"I haven't been able to talk to her for months. I don't even know what's actually on her mind-"

"Then ask!" exclaimed Alfred. The older man walked over to stand next to Bruce, staring at the man with wide eyes. "Sit down with her, hug her, ask her questions - like _your_ father used to do!"

Alfred knew very well when Bruce looked away with a darkened look in his eyes that he had struck a nerve, yet Alfred was not showing any remorse.

"This is your _daughter_. Your friend... Talk to her. It's as easy as that."

"No, it's not." Bruce turned and walked away, hearing Alfred sigh and knowing he was shaking his head at him.

 **Barbara**

The remains of Wayne Manor had been clean, no boobytraps at all. And so, Barbara had returned back to the apartment, changing into her ordinary clothes before taking out her computer. The lead on the Joker was not one for Batgirl to _physically_ follow. But it was one that would require a lot of concentration. Luckily, both her mother and father were out. Not on a date… but rather to, as they would call it, 'get more organized'.

It was a nicer word for her father helping her mother move out.

She pressed a file named 'oracle', the least obvious name she could come up with in case her father caught wind of her sneaking out every night and decided to go through her computer. To him it might just look like a file she used for her hacking hobby, which he hopefully would not decide to look through as he knew he didn't understand much of that part of her life. However if he did… he'd find that the file consists of all the work she was doing; all the _detective_ work she was doing.

Just two months ago, Batman and Robin had placed the Joker back in Arkham, though they had not managed to catch Harley. Of course this made it possible for the Joker to escape quickly, having someone as loyal as Harley on the outside to bust him out.

Now, he was out in Gotham again, wreaking havoc. He had been spotted in several places the past week, recruiting thugs to join him. It was obvious he was planning something and from what Barbara had found out after some inventive interrogation on one of these newly recruited thugs (he had been hung upside down from a rooftop in Gotham for a while until he told her everything, just like Batman would have done), the Joker was planning on hitting the GCPD. Her father worked there, and it had become a bit too personal for her liking, but she was not going to stop going after him. The Joker was almost always after her father or the GCPD in general. She had to learn to detach herself from her personal life in order to be Batgirl to the fullest.

The Joker was a strange man. He didn't want someone specific dead for revenge, he didn't want money and he didn't want an empire… He just wanted chaos and to prove to the world how fucked up everything was. Of course, that wasn't the words Batman would have liked her to use…

If he could take out the GCPD, or weaken them in some way, the Joker would be able to create chaos in Gotham as no one would be left to take care of the criminals. Barbara figured this was what he wanted, but how he was going to do it was difficult to find out when it came to the Joker. His plans always seemed so… irrational but rational at the same time.

The man was truly a genius at the same time that he wasn't….

Perhaps she should let Batman in on what she had… but she wanted to prove something to him. Just like Robin, she was placed under his shadow. Although she was freer than he was, seeing as she didn't live with him and wasn't really being coaxed into taking over the cape at some point in her life, she still felt this pressure to keep up and prove herself to him. It was strange, but that was the affect the Batman had on people…

Or maybe this was an effect of her being a woman in a man's world? She didn't really know. But she knew Bruce didn't look down at her because she was a girl. No, Bruce was not like that which she admired a great deal.

A knock was heard on her door and Barbara quickly closed her files. She stood up, leaving the laptop on, and walked over to the front door. It was late in the evening and seeing as her parents had a key, she knew whoever was on the other side of that door was either a friend of hers or a stranger – perhaps a neighbour.

Not thinking it through, she opened the door without checking who it was.

Her eyes widened.

A hat was pulled off.

White skin.

Red grin.

Yellow teeth.

Sweet scent.

A gift wrapped in purple wrapping paper.

A camera flashing.

A gun was revealed.

Her muscles reacted too slowly.

Batman would have been disappointed…

"Candygram!"

 ***BOOM***


	37. 36, Revelations

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **36.**

* * *

 **Penguin**

"Let go of me you brute – oof."

Thrown down to her knees in front of Penguin's feet, Catwoman glanced up at him through her eyelashes. Any other man would have felt some kind of… attraction towards the beautiful lady, especially since she had been grabbed from her apartment wearing only what little undergarments she usually slept in.

But not Oswald. Oswald had only ever had eyes for two people. And Selina was never one of those.

Granted he _could_ see what others would find attractive…

"Well, well. The tides have turned, aye? Now, the prey brings in the feline."

Selina rolled her eyes, "Don't think a cat doesn't have back-up plans."

"Oh, I know of your nine lives. And I didn't bring you in to kill you – yet." Oswald chuckled at his own words, causing Selina to look less than amused.

Moving from his seat, Oswald placed himself in front of the large tank he had once built all for Elaine – well, for Elaine and himself. That shark truly did end up being a good way to rid himself of stupid people without the cops getting wind of it. After all, the GCPD knew where Oswald was at all times; it wasn't like he was trying to hide while running his club. So he had to keep his… other business… a secret from the law. Murder would surely give the GCPD a good reason to arrest him, now wouldn't it? So, if they found no bodies, there was no evidence.

If Batman found no body of Selina, there was no evidence either.

Oswald smirked as he saw movement in the back of the tank, Tiny reacting to Oswald's presence. She knew what the look on his face meant; dinner time.

"My d-" He stopped himself, remembering who he was at the moment and what he was showing to the world. "My right hand man is in Arkham. Our plan was flawless." He turned to look at her, "Wasn't that the word you used? 'Flawless'? When you pitched it to us?"

Selina remained quiet, though there was a tense look about her that told Oswald he had indeed figured out the truth – "You told Batman of where we were going, didn't you? You alerted him."

At her silence, Oswald laughed. "Oh, come now, there's no reason to keep silent anymore: I've figured it out. Did I not tell El one can't trust a cat?"

Suddenly, Selina smirked. It fuelled Oswald's rage as it made her seem she had the upper hand – she was supposed to be scared of him; terrified for her life. "What!?" he spat.

"'El'? Oh, Ozzy, are we growing a soft spot for the girl?" This time it was Oswald's turn to remain silent. What could he say anyway? If he denied it he knew his voice would betray him… and if he let the truth be known, the Cat _and_ Batman (because everything Selina knew, Batman always found out eventually) would know his weakness…

Though, perhaps not the true extent of his weakness? Perhaps Selina and Batman didn't know-

"Because I _know_ , Ozzy. I know of her relation to you and I know of her importance to you. I know what you want with her." She smirked, standing up and brushing some invisible dust off of her knees. "Because I was friends with Anna, Os. I _know_ what they did to her."

Oswald shook his head but remained silent. From behind him he could sense Tiny had approached the glass, awaiting her next meal.

Though Oswald suddenly realized that… perhaps… there wouldn't be a next meal.

"She's in Arkham because she's safe there, Os. You're not the only one who wants them for themselves." Selina approached Oswald, his thugs tensing up though not doing anything as his boss didn't give any orders. "I pitches this stupid plan of hers knowing she'd end up in Arkham. I pitched it to her with confidence, because I needed her to trust me. I need to keep her safe."

Oswald suddenly frowned and angrily grabbed the cat's upper arm, holding her close to him as he menacingly growled, "What's she to you?"

"A friend."

And at those words, Oswald's grip loosened.

"Don't tell Elaine the truth Os, so I can keep an eye on her; so she'll trust me. And, for the love of God – don't let her out of Arkham."

"You want to work together? To get her back?"

"Yes. And I'm not the only one who wants that."

Nearly gasping, Oswald's eyes stared intently at Catwoman.

"You think Anna had only you? She wasn't as stuck up as you always have been. And still are. Let her friends help you. Let _us_ help her."

Not needing much more to convince him, Oswald shook Selina's outstretched hand, "A deal has been struck. But know that if you break it-"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll feed me to your pet shark." Selina rolled her eyes, but when Oswald wasn't looking she did flash the giant shark ironically named Tiny a scared look. It was circling the glass, waiting impatiently for its next meal.

Five thugs were in the room with Oswald and Selina; five thugs had just overheard that conversation and as far as Oswald knew, those thugs were not loyal to him and Pete but to Elaine and Mark. They needed to go…

With a smirk, Oswald turned back towards Tiny, "Don't worry, dear. A feast is coming your way…"

 **Millie**

She enjoyed the ride back to Gotham, even if it took a while. She felt free on the back of a motorcycle and she seriously considered getting a motorcycle license herself. Mostly though, she enjoyed the ride because she got to hold onto Dick, her arms wrapped around his torso as they sped down the roads. Shielding her face from the harsh wind, she rested her head against his back, clinging onto him even more.

A smile graced her lips.

And unbeknownst to her, Dick was smiling as well.

Upon arriving at the manor one hour later, Dick parked the bike by the gate and the two climbed over the fence, not having the key to the lock someone had put on it. Millie struggled a bit with the climb, though Dick looked rather impressed when she actually managed to get over on her own without his help ("I guess those training sessions we had back in the days did you good after all"). Together they walked over to what was left of the manor:

A burned structure with almost all its walls partly collapsed.

"Our childhood just gone…"

"All thanks to Nygma…"

"And the Penguin. And Elaine…" breathed Millie before taking a deep breath and stepping onto what was left of the porch.

Everything creaked under her weight. The front door was gone, but the walls of the main hall were mainly still there. As the moon shone down on them, they could see how the expensive wallpaper was all but gone, leaving dark, barren and fire-touched structures in its stead. It felt haunting to Millie, especially when she saw the fallen down chandelier on the floor in the main hall, right in front of what was left of the staircase.

"So… what are we looking for?"

"I need something from my room," explained Millie, broken glass crackling underneath of her shoes. "You see, I can't let it go."

"What?"

The two moved over to the staircase, Dick testing the first step before beginning to slowly move up, Millie following him.

"Elaine. Ever since that night last Christmas I've been… obsessed. Obsessed with getting her to choose a different path. But I can't just ask her to, she wouldn't listen."

"So you want to find out about your parents to make her listen," said Dick, stopping halfway up the stairs and turning to look down at her. His statement surprised her a bit, though she shouldn't have been. Dick was a bright, intelligent young man capable of – well, capable of being Robin.

A crack was heard and before she understood what was going on, the step she was on broke. Though nothing happened. Two hands had grabbed her before the step had collapsed, keeping her from falling down to the ground. Dick lifted her up to where he was standing, not even struggling a bit.

"Thanks…"

Even though she was safe, he did not let go of her arms, "Please, don't be a fool."

She stared him straight in the eyes, seeing the worry that was evident there. Though she didn't smile to make him feel better. She didn't pretend. "I remember when you were obsessed with finding your family's killer. I guess, now that I know the truth, that _you_ indeed did. You, as Robin, took in your family's killer to stand justice for what he did. Now I wanna do something for my family. I wanna make sure that my sister doesn't go down that dark path anymore… won't you help?"

"That's the thing. Bruce doesn't want me to interfere with your whole situation!" he sighed, exasperated before moving up the last few steps, Millie following him quickly.

"Isn't this interfering?"

He sighed, running a hand over his face.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"I don't understand Bruce. I used to at least understand the basis of his reasoning. But with you, everything is different. Everything is hushed up and whenever I accidentally mention you on the wrong moment he flips out. Especially if I mention your name dressed as Robin."

"Overprotective is what I would call it." He chuckled at her rolling her eyes.

"But… overprotective might not be wrong in this situation. What we do is dangerous…"

Millie nodded her head, understanding what he meant.

"You know…" He sighed, hesitant to say what he was about to say. "No more lies, right? Just… Urgh: he knew. He knew about the charity event scandal. He knew Elaine wanted to show her face there! Apparently, he had some sort of plan, I think, but he just told me to let it go. I think his plan failed because he was pretty distraught after all that."

"How would he know?"

"Well…" mumbled Dick. "I don't know. I suppose he's keeping an eye on Elaine for some reason. Which, in all fairness, isn't that weird. He's your father, and he wants to keep you safe. If something's going on with Elaine, it could affect you too - Where are you going?"

An idea had crossed her mind and she had quickly hurried over to her room. The door was still there, though the walls around it were not. A large hole in the door revealed where flames had attacked it.

Out of habit, she used the doorknob, though the door didn't open anymore. Instead it fell over to the ground with a thud, doorknob still in her hand.

Walking over to the vent at the far most corner of her room, she jumped up on a chair that was only half burned and opened the grate at the top, taking out all her research stuff, which evidently had made sure no smoke had entered her room, probably saving her and Alfred's life a tad. She was relieved to find that her hopes of the papers not having all been destroyed were not crushed. Indeed, much of what she had found out was still at least half intact. Though mostly it was the pictures that had survived, not the actual documents. Those documents that were still readable looked awfully yellow and smelled funky.

"What's that?" Dick entered the room, joining her on the floor.

"My research… Uh, there's maybe more reasons behind why I got fired then I mentioned…" she confessed, glancing at Dick with wide eyes. "It wasn't just because of the scandal with Elaine and Penguin. You see, I used my position at the book store to gain access to archives. That way, I got some intel on certain things. I may or may not have figured out the password to my boss' computer…"

"Wow…" praised Dick, going through everything she had found.

"There are three potential women that could be my mother," began Millie, taking out the slightly burned pictures of each woman. "Remember the note I got on my 18th birthday?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it indicates that my mother has a sister. Remember? 'Auntie'?"

"Oh, right, that was, uh, actually Quinn. And, uh, she doesn't have a sister," confessed Dick before letting out a sigh, "You've really missed out on a lot."

"You don't say," she shot back. "That means my research was for nothing!" She placed the pictures back down on the burned floor along with most of the files that had survived.

"You checked to see if someone had died 18 years ago who had a sister?"

"Yeah… there were a few, but none of them seemed to fit in on being my mother," sighed Millie.

"Why this reaction after you heard Bruce was following Elaine's whereabouts?"

"Well, I figured that maybe Bruce knew my mother, or that there's a secret that he doesn't want me to find out concerning my mother. And therefore he's keeping tabs on El," sighed Millie. "I guess you don't know if Bruce knows either of these women…"

"He knows a lot of women," joked Dick before looking down at the pictures. "What are their names?"

She pointed to the first picture, not needing the almost destroyed files to remember what she had worked on so intensely, "This one's Eleanor Smith, worked in a drugstore and was killed there. She had twin daughters as far as I could find out. Then there's Annabelle Smith. She was a bit of a wildcard, really. I just took her in because she had twin daughters. From what I can tell, she didn't have a job, nor did she have a registered house. She was difficult to find info on. All I could find was that she was once married to a certain Aaron Pulitzer, who was murdered like a week or two after their marriage. And then there is Theresa May; died at home during a burglary in the nursery. Twin daughters as well."

"Annabelle Smith, you said? And was this Aaron the father of the twins?"

"No, this was way before her twins were born," corrected Millie. "Her husband was murdered when she worked for the GCPD, as a forensic doctor."

"Wait, Millie…" breathed Dick, taking out a few pieces of intel on Annabelle Smith.

"What?"

Her heart skipped a beat at the look on Dick's face.

"Seeing as the Riddler has been showing his face and everything, I went through his files again. Did some digging. And it turned out he actually _worked_ for the GCPD awhile. In forensic as well. Then he did some bad things and then he was turned into Arkham and, well the rest you can deduce easily. But, look," Dick turned over some files, reading as quickly as he could before pointing to a specific year, "he was turned into Arkham _the same year Annabelle quit her job_."

"That's a strange coincidence," mumbled Millie.

Dick shook his head, "There are no strange coincidences, trust me, Robin knows. But, I don't know everything. You see, Bruce hides files from me."

"How do you know?"

"Because I once saw him looking at files I haven't been able to find since," explained Dick. "He… He might be hiding the files on you as well."

He quickly took out his phone. It was one of the more modern ones that flipped open, and Dick quickly opened up the web browser. He mouthed the word 'Annabelle Smith' as he googled her, and then his face fell.

"What? What did you find?"

He slowly turned the phone around to show her headlines from news articles from old Gotham Weeklies. Apparently it was someone's hobby to take pictures of old versions of the newspaper…

"Had I just googled her…" breathed Millie, grabbing the phone from Dick.

 _'Annabelle Pulitzer Suspected of Murdering Husband.'_

 _'Former GCPD Doctor Found Guilty of Murder After Several Years in an Abusive Relationship – Justifiable or Not?'_

 _'Murdering Forensic Doctor Put in Blackgate!'_

 _'Mysterious New Evidence Turns Up – Frees Annabelle Smith'_

 _'Oswald Cobblepot Elected for Mayor: 'I could not have done this without my two best friends.''_

 _'Annabelle Smith Taken to Arkham – Gotham Free of Her Madness'_

 _'Murdering Lunatic Proven to Have STRANGE Abilities?'_

"All these headlines… Poor woman. Gosh, she was friends with Ed _and_ Oswald? Well… friends would be to push it a bit too far I guess…"

"Millie, I don't want to upset you, but… There's gotta be a reason for why Oswald took Elaine in. Why would he allow a child to live with him? That's… That's out of character for him."

"Not if he thought she could help him though, right?" she asked quietly, hoping Dick wasn't thinking what she was already thinking. "Like… a child can fit into places where a grown up can't, right?"

"Maybe…" Millie patiently waited for his brain to connect the dots she clearly was missing – or rather was intentionally not making. "Or maybe not… He would probably not have chased her away if he recognized her."

"Recognized her as Anna's daughter you mean?"

There was a pause in where Dick just stared straight at Millie, seeming unsure of whether he should say the next part.

"Or as his own daughter."


	38. 37, Attack on GCPD

**Finally all settled in my new place and I feel ready to write again :) Woop!**

* * *

 **Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **37.**

* * *

 **Batman**

He entered the hospital room quietly through the window, not even the leather of his suit making a squeak. Jim was sitting on a chair, asleep, though Barbara was wide awake. Batman doubted she could sleep, not after what the doctors had told her…

She turned to him, feeling his eyes on her.

"Bruce…" she said quietly, her voice wavering, shaking. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" he asked, his voice low in case someone entered the room. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"He-He…" Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I know. I saw the pictures…" he hesitated to say that, though figured it was best she knew the entire truth. "I won't stop until he's found."

"Have you heard?" she asked quietly. "I-I can't walk ever again… I can't be what you want me to be anymore-"

"Don't say that," pressed Bruce, Jim shifting in his sleep which made both quieten down again.

"But I can't… Oh, Bruce." She wept then, and Bruce could only watch. He silently walked over to her bed, his heart sinking at what the Gordons must be feeling now. If this had happened to Millie – he could only imagine, but he liked to believe he knew. At the very least, he knew the pain of losing family members altogether. He imagined that pain wasn't very different from what either Jim or Mrs Gordon were feeling now.

Bruce would never forgive himself for this. If he had been working harder on getting the Joker behind bars again, this would not have happened.

This had not happened because she was the Batgirl though, and while Bruce knew this, it did little to ease his pain. Barbara meant a lot to him and to see her reduced to nothing by the Joker; to see those pictures he had taken of her to send to Gordon… To see her become a victim of something that possibly – no, not possibly – the Batman had created just by being a terror to criminals was…

"Listen to me, I won't stop until he is behind bars. I will make him **pay**."

Barbara stayed silent. Jim shifted again, his eyes opening. Though before Jim had awoken fully, Bruce had already left the room.

 **Millie**

"There's a possibility it's not true, right? I mean, maybe Anna is my mother and maybe not! And maybe she is and maybe Cobblepot truly was just a friend and… right?" Her voice wavered, rambling mostly to herself by the end as Dick had turned around to focus on his phone.

Instead of replying to her rambling, Dick let out an exclamation ("Damn it!") before sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose. Millie walked over to him, glancing at the phone and seeing Bruce's phone numbers displayed on the screen. Clearly, nobody was picking up.

The two had been waiting for hours for either Alfred or Bruce to pick up their phones, yet none of them did. They were stood by the gate, not having climbed the fence yet to get out of the property. Dick's bike was standing, leaning against a tree, on its own, the lights having automatically turned on when Dick was nearby; key still in the ignition. Immediately after they'd realized that horrible, possible truth, they had decided to confront Bruce.

Though nobody was picking up the phone and, according to the batcomputer, nobody but Alfred was home at the lakehouse.

"I feel dirty…"

Dick looked over at her, his eyes softening at the panicked look on her face.

"Their past doesn't define you," replied Dick, shaking his head placing his hands on both her shoulders, bowing his head slightly to gain the attention of her downcast gaze. "I promise."

"So, you don't see me any differently now that you know what I could possibly be?" she asked quietly.

"No," he shrugged casually before his eyes darkened. "Batman would undoubtedly have known of this. There just isn't a way he couldn't have… He kept this from you. From us. This is unacceptable. And he won't even answer his damned phone!" Upon saying the last part, he turned away from Millie and screamed out over the gardens, as though Bruce would hear him then.

Though as he looked out over the gardens, he realized something and slapped his forehead. "Stupid…" he whispered to himself.

"I still feel dirty…"

Millie watched him recoil, his eyes staring over at her. Slowly he approached her once more, placing a hand on her cheek, "Don't. Because even with this news out, we will still love you. I will… uh…"

Dick kept staring at her, his blue eyes once more seeming electric to her. She was weak in that very moment, confused about what she had just found out and worried what it might mean in the future. She just needed something to make her feel better, and Dick's presence was doing just that.

"I will still… always…" he spluttered.

"Love you."

She might as well just be truthful about everything now. She probably had criminal blood flowing through her veins which made her feel closed in, her skin tightening around her as though she was just a coffin filled with evil waiting to burst through. And yet still, Dick was there, treating her like he always did even though he knew of her possible parents. Love was not a strong enough word to explain what she felt for him right there and then.

"You do?" he asked quietly, his blue eyes widening.

That magnetic feeling overcame her again as she looked into his eyes. It pulled her to him and it felt much like some invisible hand was pulling at the bottom of her stomach; pulling her lower body towards Dick.

Without thinking much of it, she grabbed his face and planted her lips against his.

Boy was it an awkward kiss. Dick obviously knew what he was doing, but Millie did not. Yet, Dick didn't seem to mind, simply placing his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. Every part of them touched the other and after almost eight years of friendship and hidden feelings, Millie felt completely and utterly _freed_. Free from secrets about her past. Free from questions about herself and Dick...

And free with the man she loved.

They broke off the kiss after a while, staring down at each other, pressing their noses together. Still embracing each other, the two suddenly began to laugh. It was the strangest thing, but with all those feelings suddenly being out in the open, the joy that followed just made them laugh. Not only that, but both were realizing that all those intense moments, all those cute gestures, had not been because of sibling love… not at all…

Dick pressed one last kiss to her forehead before taking a step back, grabbing her hand instead. Not another word was said about what had just happened. It was a shock, and also not. It seemed like it was just a thing they had always wanted to do, and now that it had happened, it was a casual thing neither bothered to talk about. It was over. Done. And Millie knew that she was now free to always show her affections towards him.

He tugged her away from the gate, a soft smile still on his lips from the kiss, "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to find Bruce," he said, beginning to lead her off towards the gardens. "To confront him. Together."

"Together," she smiled, squeezing his hand a little bit.

"Together, as we'll always do things from now on, i-if you want."

Millie smiled widely again, squeezing his hand, "Only you can turn such a horrible evening into also the best one of my life. Of course I want to. But I don't see how we'll find Bruce in the gardens of his old manor."

"The Batcave."

"Wow, we're slow," joked Millie, earning a chuckle from Dick. "We've been standing there trying to call him for all this time when we could have just checked his location down there? Wow…"

They neared a bush, Dick stopping in front of it. Millie glanced at him with hesitant eyes.

"When the manor burned down, he closed every entrance off so no one would find the cave," began Dick before he smirked at her. "But I'm Robin."

"I- We're standing in front of a bush."

Dick looked down at said bush he had pulled her to and chuckled. "Oh, but it's a very special bush, M. It's magical."

"Shut up." Millie rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.

Clearing his throat dramatically, Dick announced "Open," before continuing to stare down at the bush.

For a second or two, Millie thought he had gone a bit loopy. But then the bush answered him, causing Millie to jump slightly.

 _"Voice recognition complete. Welcome Robin."_

Dick let out a victorious chuckle before he stood up, backing them both up a few steps. The bush to which Dick had just spoken was suddenly raised up in the air, revealing the fact that it was no real bush, but an artificial one standing on a small platform. A square piece of the grass around the bush was, too, elevated into the air, and when it moved aside, it showed an opening in the ground large enough to be a door. Stairs led down into the darkness, and Dick gestured for her to enter.

"Ladies first."

"But it's so dark."

"Trust me," smiled Dick.

Millie stepped down two steps into the darkness when suddenly a couple of automated lamps were turned on, lightening up the staircase. Dick followed her, pressing a hidden button to close the entrance behind them.

About a minute later, they reached the Batcave. Millie had been there once before, though had never really entered it for real. Instead she had been hidden behind a wall, only taking in small portions of the cave while she found out the truth about Dick and Bruce. Now… Now she could actually step inside and walk up to the batcomputer, or the other modules meant for lab techniques or building things; or the parked batmobile; or the suits of Batman and Robin over the years, all placed behind glass to be remembered.

After having gazed around at everything with new, less shocked, eyes, she joined Dick by the computer. Within seconds, Dick had located Bruce.

"He's at the GCPD…" announced Dick, furrowing his brow. He pressed a white button nearby, "Bruce?"

 _"Robin… What are you doing in the cave?"_

"What are you doing at the GCPD?"

 _"The Joker's planning something. He… He got Barbara."_

"What?" asked Millie quietly.

 _"Millie?"_

"Is Barbara okay?" asked Dick. The tone of his voice caused Millie to place a sympathetic hand on his arm. He closed his eyes and placed his own hand over hers, nodding his head at her.

 _"She… She'll_ be _fine eventually. I wouldn't mind back-up, Robin."_

"Actually… We called for a different reason-"

"That can wait," interfered Millie. "Robin will be right over."

 _"Thank you."_

Dick let go of the white button, turning his head to look at Millie with a soft glare in his eyes.

"Taking down criminals comes before personal vendettas, okay? We can talk to him later. Find out why he lied… if he did. Right now, the Joker is out there and he might be caught if you two work together on this one. Okay?"

"Millie… This is insane. What he kept from you, nobody should keep from you. He's been lying to us from the beginning. I'm done with him."

Millie's heart sunk slightly.

 _Together._

She might feel dirty and she might be mad at Bruce for possibly lying – which she would never forgive him for no matter what he said – but the matter of the fact was that she still wanted to help Elaine. They could get away from their father together and prove to everyone that blood doesn't make you into what you are. There was still a chance she could help her sister and make up for what she had done wrong in her life… But the way Dick was talking, Millie wondered if he would stay and help her.

Smiling even though her heart hurt, she placed a hand on his cheek, "You do you, Dick. Don't let anyone keep you in the shadows. Grow. Be you."

"You're talking as though you won't come with me," he said, chuckling nervously before his smile faltered. "You are coming with me, right? If I leave?"

"If?"

He looked down at the floor in between them, sighing deeply. "You see, Bruce to you may be a father. But he kept this from you for a reason. And if I know him well, that reason will be because he _always_ sacrifices everything for the sake of the mission. Whatever mission he is on now that made him want to keep secrets from you, it's gonna be ugly. Sacrificing everything for the mission is… selfish."

" **If** he kept secrets."

Dick sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, "Even if he didn't… I-I think I'm done. That's not who I wanna turn into. I don't want to take over **that** cowl."

Without saying anything else, Millie simply wrapped her arms around him, softly hugging him.

 **Batman**

The apartment building opposite of the GCPD stretched high up into the sky. From a vantage point up there, Batman was sitting crouched, hands grasping the edge of the vantage point to keep from losing his balance. His cape moved slowly as the wind blew past it. Rain splattered onto his mask and leather suit and his dark, green eyes were focused on the roof of the GCPD building.

The Joker and Harley Quinn were there along with a couple of newly recruited henchmen, preparing a large, purple bomb. Tubes with a green liquid his equipment had identified as a highly flammable toxin were currently being attached to the bomb. They were obviously planning on destroying the building.

With the commissioner away with his daughter at the hospital, it was obvious the Joker was targeting the commissioner in general, one of the few people in the GCPD who still thought this city might get better at some point. Removing the GCPD by exploding it would result in chaos in Gotham, most thugs and criminals gaining the courage to wreak havoc if over half the police force went down in the explosion. It would result in anarchy.

But not only that, it would be the last thing Gordon would have left (seeing as the Joker most certainly thought Barbara was dead). This was the Joker's plan; to ruin those who thought Gotham could be saved; to ruin Gordon - and Batman was going to stop it.

It was not like he couldn't go in on his own, but he wanted Robin with him just in case. Albeit Bruce might never admit to it, it was a huge relief having someone with you to back you up. He was forever grateful Dick was there with him.

"Took you long enough," stated Batman the moment the faint sounds of Robin's footsteps could be heard walking over to him.

Though he was not alone.

A second pair of footsteps could be heard. Batman turned his head and was surprised to find Millie there, wearing a yellow raincoat that matched the yellow colour of Robin's cape.

"Well?" asked Robin coldly, joining Batman out on the vantage point. "A bomb."

"Why's Millie here?" Batman looked at Dick with a scolding glance, though Dick did not even look at him. When he glanced back at Millie, she simply hugged herself, green eyes looking at him guiltily.

Completely ignoring Batman, Robin continued to speak, "I guess you take the lead, distract them and then I come swooping in?"

Batman narrowed his eyes, staring at Robin for a while. The rain made his hair stick to his forehead, dangerously close to his light blue eyes. He was acting out of character. His voice sounded monotonous, as though he was keeping something from seeping into his voice. Bruce quickly deduced he was in for something after the Joker and Quinn were apprehended, though he was unsure of what.

Briefly, he glanced back at Millie, who stayed back. A few raindrops touched her cheeks as she stood there, clearly shivering from the cold. Her eyes were wide, filled with worry now. Bruce could only hope she was _only_ worried about their safety, and not whatever was going to go down afterwards.

"Sounds like a pla-"

"Good." Before Bruce could even finish his sentence, Robin had already grappled off. Millie ran over to the edge, watching him leave with those wide, green eyes of hers.

"We'll be back soon," said Bruce, trying to sound reassuring. Though when Millie looked up at him, her eyes were void of emotions. For a moment, a horrible moment, he thought his mother's dead eyes were looking up at him, though he soon managed to push away that thought before he grappled off.

With his cape forming his signature Bat shape, he landed quietly on the other roof. He stayed there, staring at the Joker and the others until they _felt_ his eyes on them.

"Lookie boys!" squealed Harley, grabbing her hammer in both her hands, already preparing herself for a fight. "We've got company!"

All five henchmen turned around towards the Batman, guns in their hands. Though the Bat was not fazed by those guns.

"Why, how nice!" exclaimed the Joker, letting out a loud laugh. "I mean, I should've known you'd be around. After all, it's a perfect night for a large, brooding man to be out!"

With his hands up in the air to feel the rain, the Joker twirled around. His pale skin was a strange contrast against the dark night, and some of his red lipstick had begun to melt, dripping down his chin along with the rainwater. Harley looked worse than him though as her skin was not naturally pale as the Joker's. _All_ her makeup was drifting off, and that dark, hateful look in her eyes was only given more effect when all her dark makeup had run down to stay underneath of her eyes.

"What are you doing, **Joker**?" asked the Batman, beginning to slowly walk forwards, still not fazed by the fact that the henchmen were aiming guns at him.

The Joker walked forwards, a sadistic grin on his lips.

"Well, what does it look like?" smirked the Joker. "Like my strangely obvious plan?"

The Batman halted at the Joker's words.

"Me too! It's so fun!" he giggled, placing an arm around Harley who looked ready to faint at the gesture. "Because," he took out a detonator, "I'm assuming you think this is for the large, purple bomb right there, right? The big one I placed conveniently enough for you to see from the other side of the road? The other side of the road where there is a large vantage point strong enough to hold a grown man dressed like a bat?"

Harley bit her lip, trying to keep in a giggle.

"What are you on about, Joker?" growled the Batman.

"This."

He pressed the detonator seconds before Robin swooped in to grab it from him. The roof Bruce was standing on caved in with a bang. It was a large enough hole for him to not be able to grab onto a ledge, but luckily, the Batman had other gadgets. Without really panicking, he latched his grapple onto the roof ledge, hindering his fall down into the main hall of the GCPD. There, police were staring up at him, some already reacting, running over to the stairs to get up to the roof, while some were simply completely shocked at what they saw.

He began to climb up, though gunshots were aimed down at him when he tried. They hit his suit hard and he quickly deduced those were shotguns. They wouldn't hurt him too much, but they would tear through his suit quicker and he knew he would not be able to climb up fast enough before his suit was ripped apart and he was killed.

Instead he was trapped hanging there until Robin could get rid of the shooting henchmen.

 **Millie**

Her hands gripped the edge of the roof she was standing on tightly as she watched. Bruce was down, somewhere inside of the GCPD. She saw two henchmen staring down at the hole with their guns ready to shoot him. Dick was fighting off the other three henchmen with ease, though Harley soon joined the fight which proved a bit more of a challenge.

Millie watched as the Joker ran back to the large, purple bomb, continuing his work with a gleeful smile on his face. She wanted to run over and help, but she couldn't. Mainly because she was not that good at fighting, but also because she was still Millie Wayne. Sure, she wore a raincoat nobody had ever seen her in, but her face was still very recognizable.

And a part of her also didn't want to let them see her face in fear of hearing them recognize her as Elaine… There was something about that which made Millie shiver.

Luckily, Robin managed to knock Harley off her feet which gained him enough time to throw something at the two henchmen by the hole in the roof. In surprise of whatever hit them, they dropped their guns straight down the hole. In any other circumstance, it would have looked funny to her to see them glance at each other in shock before they turned and tried to run as the Batman shot up from the hole and landed straight on top of them. Though Millie was too worried to even smirk a bit.

Robin was back to fighting with Harley while the Batman ran straight over to the Joker.

With her heart in her throat, she could only wait and watch...

 **Batman**

It was obvious the Joker had seen him before the Batman had managed to land an attack on him. Batman had even seen his reflection in one of those tubes himself, so the chance of the Joker having missed it was small. Therefore, the Joker dodged easily, landing a few punches in Batman's side before backing away.

"Stupid idiots…" grumbled the Joker dodging and trying to hit the Batman over and over again. "… have to do _everything_ myself…"

Rolling over underneath the Batman's legs, the Joker quickly made his way over to one of the dropped guns, grabbing it and pointing it at the Batman.

"Adios!" he called before pulling the trigger.

* * *

 **A/N: I remember sometime in my childhood watching an animated Batman series where Dick's reason for leaving was because Barbara/Batgirl fell and broke her back - Batman had known Barbara, Dick's girlfriend, was Batgirl and had put her in danger without consulting Dick and that drove him to leaving (along with other factors). I liked that version and took inspiration to that though added in Millie's factor and changed Barbara's fate to the Killing Joke version.**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter! :)**


	39. 38, Millie Wayne: Batgirl

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **38.**

* * *

 _Rolling over underneath the Batman's legs, the Joker quickly made his way over to one of the dropped guns, grabbing it and pointing it at the Batman._

 _"Adios!" he called before pulling the trigger._

 **Robin**

Right as he finally got a good punch to the side of Harley's head, knocking her out, a trigger was pulled. The shot echoed over the roof of the GCPD. His ribs hurt tremendously from Harley having gotten in a good hit with the hammer at one point, though his pain subdued and went away the moment he saw Bruce keel over and fall to the ground.

Seeming to not understand what had just happened, the Joker stayed quiet. It was the longest the Joker had ever been quiet without laughing when hurting the Batman, and it almost scared Robin more than the fact that Batman had just gone down.

Quickly, he made his way over to the Joker, grabbing the gun from his hands. Still, the clown did not react, even as Robin took the gun apart to make it unusable. Throwing the parts to the side, Robin turned to look at his former mentor. The cape had fallen over his body, making it difficult for Robin to see any wounds. He wanted, even though he had been pissed just minutes ago, to run over and check up on him. But there were still criminals to apprehend. He still needed to be just Robin.

The clown let out a dry laugh, "I-It wasn't supposed to be that easy…" he said quietly, his grin suddenly disappearing. For a few seconds, he looked over at Robin, his eyes wide and… uncertain. Robin frowned at him, too surprised to see emotions in the Joker's eyes to actually apprehend the clown.

"What, you need a hug?"

That seemed to do the trick as the Joker immediately lashed out, kicking at Robins legs which caused him to fall to his back with a grunt. Robin wore no helmet, so the impact of his head against the roof of the GCPD made him a little dazed. He cursed himself for not seeing the Joker's reaction before it happened. What else had Dick thought would happen when he mocked the Joker for feeling something?

However, just as the Joker passed Batman by to go back to the bomb, Batman's gloved hand shot out and grabbed his foot. The Joker fell face first to the ground and stayed down.

With wide eyes, Robin watched as the Batman stood up without a problem, pulling out a bullet from his chest plate, the strongest point of his suit. The Joker, groaning and bleeding surreally much from his cracked nose, watched and let out a laugh.

"I knew you wouldn't be dead…" And with that said, he fell unconscious, an eerie smile still on his lips.

Robin stood up, watching as the Batman pulled out a few wires from the bomb so it definitely wouldn't go off, before he returned to the Joker's side. Robin watched for a few moments as Batman's fists tensed up. Something flashed in Bruce's eyes; an emotion Robin had not seen before. Though as Robin was about to ask Batman about it, he began to walk away, without saying a single word to Robin.

With an annoyed sigh, Robin followed Batman, grappling over to where Millie was waiting for them. Behind them, the police flooded the roof of the GCPD, beginning to arrest the thugs, Quinn and the Joker.

 **Millie**

Still shaking, Millie watched as they grappled back over to her. She stood back, letting them join her up on the roof. For a while she simply stared at them before running over to Bruce and hugging him tightly. Bruce stayed put, gently placed a hand on one of her shoulders. In comparison to her petit shoulder, his gloved hand seemed massive. It reminded her of how she was still his little girl, even if she was by now an adult…

Robin sighed, indicating to Millie it was time. Breaking off the hug, she walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

"Did you know?" asked Dick quietly.

Bruce stayed silent, simply watching the two of them. Millie did not miss his eyes fleetingly going down to their intertwined fingers once. She wondered what he thought of them together… not that it mattered, he would not be able to stop them anyway.

"About her parents?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, his cape fluttering once in the wind.

"Oswald Cobblepot and Annabelle Smith," announced Millie. "Are they…?"

Bruce Wayne was the least open man in the world, though those close to him knew how to read him. Both Dick and Millie knew that, if you wanted to see his real reaction to something, you had to look at his eyes the first couple of seconds after you told him something. He would not have had time to react yet by then. He would let his true emotions show then…

And right then and there, just a second or two after Millie had said those names, she could see something in his eyes.

Failure.

"What are you-" His voice was angry. Reprimanding even. It was enough of an answer for both Millie and Dick to know they had been right.

"Millie did some research," interrupted Dick. "At first we thought it wouldn't lead us anywhere. But then it turns out she had accidentally found something, and by the way you just reacted, I'm assuming it's the truth."

"We thought there had to be a reason for why the Penguin allowed a child to live with him, so… Anna… the name you and Gordon discussed when the mansion burned down… I'm – We're more than just Anna's daughters, right? We're **his** as well?"

Silence.

Dick let out a breath through gritted teeth.

"We know the truth now, **Bruce** , you don't have to keep lying!" exclaimed Dick, trying his best not to sound angry.

Still, Bruce said nothing.

"Why did you keep it from me? Did you think I'd run over there and join him too?" she asked quietly. "Do you really think so little of me?"

"No," was all he said.

"Right, that's always something…" she mumbled.

"This is unbelievable!" exclaimed Dick. "Why did you keep this from us!?"

"Honestly, I just want to know why you kept it from Dick. He's your partner, he could have handled it."

"By telling him, the secret would be one step closer to being revealed to you." He stayed put, shoulders in a straight line either by choice of because of his Bat-suit. Green, almost brown, eyes stared down at them from beneath the cowl…

"Man, are you not hearing yourself!?" Dick let go of Millie's hand, taking a few steps towards Bruce. "I _am_ your partner! You are training me to take over that suit someday! And you can't even trust me!?"

He stayed silent again. Rain poured down over his mask. Rain poured down over Dick's hair, flattening it. Somewhere far away, a flash of lightning ignited the dark Gotham sky, and for a split second it seemed the rain reacted to the lightning, pouring down heavier than earlier before calming down again.

"Bruce, just, talk to us, please…" begged Millie, drops of water entering her mouth as she spoke.

Though while Millie was still trying to have a discussion with Bruce, Dick was beyond done by that point. "Fine. You know what? I don't want it."

"What do you mean?" asked Bruce quietly.

"I don't want the cape." He ripped it off of him, holding it tightly in one hand. "I don't want the suit." He took his belt off. "I don't want to take over something laced in _lies_. I'm not that person. Clearly, if you think you can't even tell me this, or if you think all I can do is swoop in from behind when no one's looking, then I don't want _it_. Partners trust each other, Bruce. Friends trust each other. Family trusts each other. I can't… I can't stay. I can't be what you want me to be if you keep holding me back and if you keep things from me. I can't…" His anger had calmed down by now and it was obvious he was scared of the decision he was about to take.

"I didn't tell her because I wanted her to stay with us the way she was. I didn't want her to leave."

"So you lied so you could keep having what you always have? A pretty little girl that took your name, expecting you to be her father when in reality all you did was lie to her?"

"Many parents keep this from their adoptive ch-"

"Oh don't give me that crap," spat Dick. "She asked you. She's asked you on multiple times about Elaine. AND YOU KNEW."

"Dick, please," whispered Millie, walking over to him and grabbing his arm. "I didn't ask about my parents. I've never asked that question-"

"No, but you asked about your sister. You told me so," he urged before grabbing her hands. "This is what he does. He keeps things from you, manipulates you to become something so it benefits him." Dick glared over at Bruce. "You once said that the mask and cape sometimes is the only thing that divides _us_ from _them_. Well, when it comes to you… I think that line is very, very thin. I'm done."

Dick shrugged off Millie's hands to rip his domino mask off, throwing it to the ground. It fell to the ground with a splat, rain continuing to fall on it as it lay there in a puddle of rain water. Cape and utility belt were still clutched tightly in his hands though.

"I'm applying to a college in Bludhaven, New York or Metropolis – just, anywhere but here. I'm leaving, Bruce. This is it," he said, his back turned towards them. Briefly, he glanced back at Millie, "And you?"

Her heart sunk. Yes, Bruce had lied to her, but in all fairness, even though he had known all her life since the moment they first met, _she had never asked him about her parents_. Yes, he kept the fact that Elaine was alive from her, which hurt. But Bruce just wanted her to be safe… And he was still her father… That was why he had lied and she couldn't exactly hate him for it. Sure, she couldn't forgive him for it, but hate was too strong a word to use.

All those moments they had shared as father and daughter… How on Earth was she supposed to just let that go?

Besides, what better way to help her sister than by working with the Bat?

Oh, but her heart… She wanted so badly to follow it, to go with Dick and live the rest of her life with him. A tear slipped down her cheek as he offered his hand to her, a pleading look in his electric blue eyes… those eyes…

At the exact same moment her heart broke, she let out a sigh. Taking one shaky step away from Dick, she placed herself next to Bruce, staring down at the ground before her.

"Fine."

And he was gone.

She was unsure of how long she stayed put staring at the mask left on the ground, but eventually Bruce cut off her vision, placing himself in front of her. Slowly, she looked up, meeting his dark green eyes.

"Why did you stay?" he asked quietly.

"I want to help my sister…"

Bruce watched her for a long time and she did not miss, as she was looking him straight in the eyes, how her answer had pained him, "Your sister's in Arkham right now, what more can you do?"

"She's still part of _his_ crew… Maybe I can talk to her or…"

They listened to the rain pour down over them for a while, both thinking hard about what to say next. This wasn't what Millie wanted, but abandoning her father seemed… wrong.

Bruce sighed, "What I'm about to say is going to go against everything I've ever wanted for you… But, then again, I also didn't want you to learn about your parents. Not everything turns out the way you want it to.

"Millie, the best way to help your sister is not to talk to her or make sure she stays in Arkham, but essentially it's to make sure criminal life is not the appealing one anymore. And once it's not, you can talk to her."

"How… How do I make sure criminal life isn't appealing anymore?"

 **Bruce**

He returned to the Batcave for the first time since the manor had been burned down. It was already open, the lockdown having been removed by Robin.

On the large seat in front of the batcomputer, Robin's old suit, cape and utility belt had been thrown over the back of the seat. Only some of his gadgets had been thrown onto the seat as well, though only _some_. Bruce noticed he had only left those gadgets that weren't his favourite, and he smirked at that fact.

Perhaps he had stormed off, but something told Bruce he had not completely lost Richard Grayson after all.

 **Millie**

"Oh, I'm sorry, commissioner," apologised Millie as she entered the room the nurse at the reception had said was Barbara's.

"No need, guests are allowed," said Gordon with a forced smile.

Barbara stared at Millie with wide eyes as she stayed by the door, awkwardly glancing at the commissioner from time to time. Finally, he got the hint.

Clearing his throat, he stood up from his chair, "Well, I need some coffee. You girls want anything?"

Barbara and Millie shook their heads, watching as Gordon left the room. Millie carefully closed the door after him before moving over to her bed. Bandaged. Wounded… never able to walk again… What on Earth does one say to a person who had been placed in this situation? No words would be able to offer any comfort…

"I'm sorry about what happened…" she tried, though Barbara shook her head.

"I should've been more careful," she sighed before quickly changing the subject as her eyes glistened over with tears. "Bruce called. They got the Joker and… Dick's left."

"Yeah… Everything's changed."

Millie let out a long breath, unsure of what to say. Bruce had just told her to get over to Barbara, telling Millie Barbara would explain and let her know everything she needed to know.

"He also told me something else," began Barbara. "That you now know, and that you want to stop the ugly stuff going on in the city."

"I guess. I just don't know how. I mean Dick had the Robin suit, Bruce has Batman…"

"And I had Batgirl…" sighed Barbara.

The sun shone in through the window, the early orange sun almost blinding Millie. She had been up all night and she was beginning to feel it, her head feeling heavy and slow. Therefore she didn't pick up on the word 'had' until it was too late for her to react. Though she still offered Barbara a look of condolence.

"How strange isn't this city that a pair of vigilantes wearing Halloween costumes are more feared then the police?" she asked quietly, her voice quivering as a tear fell down her cheek.

Millie and Barbara weren't… close. They had never gone out to do something nor had they spend more time together on their own then… well, this was probably their first time in a room alone.

"I'd say they aren't just Halloween costumes though." It was a poor attempt at a joke, but what else could Millie say? Because she agreed… the city was so corrupt, so filled with the ideology of anarchy vs the ideology of money buys happiness that no one but costumed vigilantes could keep the city from tearing itself down. And at the same time, those who could save the city were the ones creating new threats; creating more resistance which causes for better 'villains'. "Bloody city…" whispered Millie, looking down at her hands.

Barbara cleared her throat, reaching out a hand to Millie. In the palm of Barbara's hand lay a key and Millie stared at it for a while, unsure of what she wanted her to do with the key.

"My apartment key. Take it." Millie hesitantly grabbed it, staring at it before looking back over at Barbara. "It'll recognize your voice. Oh, and when you find it, take care of it. I won't be needing it anymore anyway."

 **Bruce**

By Dick's leftover gadgets, a note lay as well. Bruce removed his mask first before he grabbed it, holding it up towards the light.

 **Millie**

In Barbara's room, to where Millie had snuck in, avoiding the large pool of blood in the living room and the yellow police tape that was strapped up everywhere, she stood all alone. Still confused by what she was actually doing there, she thought long and hard. Barbara was Batgirl, that she knew, but…

Sighing, Millie turned and headed back to the door, "Stupid… I don't know what I'm doing here…"

 _"Voice Recognized: Millie Wayne."_

The metallic voice caused Millie to stop in her tracks and turn back. She was just by the doorway heading to the living room, staring with wide eyes as, right before her eyes, Barbara's closet opened up automatically. There was a hidden door behind her ordinary clothes, which was opened as well. Lights were turned on, illuminating what Batgirl apparently had wanted her to find…

 **Bruce**

 _"Don't smother her."_

That's what the note said which Dick had left him. He read it over and over again. Of course he knew he had been trying to keep Dick safe, and that by doing so he had sometimes smothered him a bit. But at the same time Bruce was a little annoyed by the fact that Dick simply assumed Bruce would allow a child – although Millie was by now 18 years old – to do everything that Bruce did.

But he was, wasn't he? And he already had let children help him doing what Batman does…

Millie wanted to help. The inevitable had happened after she had found out. Did anyone close to Bruce ever stay untainted?

Someone cleared their throat behind Bruce and he turned around. There, before him, stood Millie, holding the suit and gadget belt that had once belonged to Batgirl in her arms. The cowl was resting there as well, looking empty without Barbara to fill it.

She just stared at him, gently raising her arms up as though to ask him what to do with the suit.

 _Don't smother her._

"You wanted to help your sister?"

 _Don't smother her._

"By somehow cleaning up Gotham, yes."

 _Don't smother her…_

"Then put on the suit."


	40. 39, Escape from Arkham?

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **39.**

* * *

 **Elaine**

Rolling her eyes, Elaine did as she was told and entered the rec-room, ignoring the guards pushing her unnecessarily harshly inside. The treatment by the guards was something she was used to by now after having been there for a month.

That morning she had been allowed to shower, though due to previous 'mishaps' with the other patients, Elaine was not allowed to shower with the others for a few weeks. These mishaps had been planned by her, as she did not feel comfortable with others staring at her as she took a shower. These weeks of her being forced to shower on her own with only some orderlies watching, whom had seen Killer Croc naked and didn't stare unnaturally much, was not really a punishment.

To be honest, it was a rather bad punishment no matter what.

The bars were shut closed behind her, keys rattling to inform her they had locked the door. Her eyes overlooked the room, seeing Dent sitting in one corner of the room with a smirk on his lips, playing with his precious coin as he stared out at the nothingness before him. Tetch was sitting in front of the TV, a paper hat sitting on his hat and Nygma was over by the chess board, playing against himself. Immediately she walked over to him, sitting down by his table.

Her hair was still dripping wet and she let out a dramatic sigh.

"You got group therapy today or a one-on-one talk with your shrink?" asked Nygma casually, not looking up from his chess board.

"It's… what day is it?"

"Thursday," replied Nygma with a look her way. "You gotta keep on board with that, or you'll let this place go to your head."

"I don't intend to let this place go to my head. I'm intending on getting out."

Nygma chuckled, earning a glare from Elaine, "How? You got a plan?"

"Yeah, of course."

Lies.

Nygma snorted at her. In a small fit of rage, Elaine stood back up and tossed his chess board off of the table. Every single piece fell to the floor before she walked away, swaying her hips a little extra as she knew he'd be glaring at her. A soft smile crossed her lips as she heard him swear at her, a nearby patient letting out a scream at the loud noise the chessboard had made.

Instead she joined Dent at his table.

"I don't want nothing to do with birds…" grumbled Dent, though Elaine ignored him, grabbing a nearby newspaper instead and beginning to read it.

However, her calm reading took a quick turn as there suddenly were a bunch of guards outside of the bars, all holding guns in their hands, pointing it at something walking down the corridor.

Or rather someone walking down the corridor.

Staff members were soon seen as well. Elaine noticed that every single inmate had turned their attention towards the bars now. Nygma too, his chessboard forgotten on the floor.

A strange atmosphere entered the rec-room, as though people were afraid someone in specific was going to turn up at Arkham. Someone everyone feared…

Elaine understood almost immediately why people had been suddenly afraid when she saw the Joker and Harley Quinn walk down the corridor, passing the rec-room by. They were chained up good, the Joker even wearing a mouth cuff. Perhaps he had tried to bite someone…

Harley looked completely devastated. Though the Joker looked mildly amused, at least his eyes did. He looked over at them all through the bars as they passed, his green eyes searching each inmate there. Elaine raised her eyebrows when the Joker's eyes met hers. She didn't feel scared, but she certainly felt intrigued. From the way the lines under his eyes crinkled, she could tell he was grinning at her.

The Joker had gotten out of Arkham more times than anyone else. Hell, it wouldn't surprise her if he actually knew the entire premises inside-out. Not only that, but Harley used to work there…

Perhaps she _did_ have a plan…

Before the Joker and Harley disappeared out of view, Elaine shot him a grin as well. And in response, she could hear the Joker's cackling laughter echo through the corridor.

 **Millie**

She was without a job – though Bruce kept pushing her to start working for him.

She was basically without friends – Barbara was there, but things were awkward between them sometimes as Millie had kissed her ex-boyfriend.

She was still without an education – going to university had been put off due to recent events in her life.

Though it did not bother her. Perhaps, some evenings, when she tried to get some sleep, it would bother her. Just a teeny bit. A shadow would creep up towards her in the darkness, and she would pull the covers tighter around her. Tears would spring to her eyes, but she would not let them fall.

Millie needed to be strong.

It would feel the loneliest and the weirdest during breakfasts though, when her mind was still foggy and the memories from the past couple of weeks had not yet returned to her conscious mind. She would expect Dick to come downstairs soon as well, and she would feel happy about it. After all, the memories of her kissing him never ever left her conscious mind.

And then it would all catch up to her when Dick didn't come downstairs, and she would feel the pull of that anxiety again.

'Had she made the right decision?'

Her training with Batman was… exhausting. Dick's cute training sessions with her had helped, a lot, but she was still quite weak compared to Bruce – or rather compared to what Barbara had been. She could never compete with Bruce's strength. Though dodging his punches was something she was rather good at. Who knew Dick had been teaching her Robin's skills all along?

One week after graduating, she walked down towards the living room of the lakehouse, which by now had been refurnished into a second-hand batcave. Computers and laptops were sprawled out everywhere, yoga mats had been laid out here and there along with weights and other training equipment needed in Millie's training. The physical aspect of her training as Batgirl was what she knew she could learn, but the basic hacking skills required… they were something else. Luckily, Bruce had computers he used to help her; algorithms that would do whatever she wanted for her if she just pressed the right button.

Prepared for another workout session which would be followed by Bruce desperately trying to teach her some more basic hacking skills, Millie entered the living room only to find Bruce sitting on the sofa, dressed in sweatpants and a jumper and with a laptop resting on his lap. She jumped over the back of the couch and sat down next to Bruce, gracefully landing next to him.

"You ready?"

Bruce remained silent, glancing at her once before lifting the laptop over towards her. Most of the computers and laptops had been connected to the batcomputer in the Batcave, and this laptop was currently showing her a file existing on there.

Her file.

"Everything I've kept from you about your parents."

It was oddly specific; his sentence. She glanced at him once, and she noticed he avoided her eyes quite clearly. Though pushing the subject even more after everything; after Dick had left; seemed immature.

She scrolled down, eyes watering up a bit as she read it all.

 _Millie Cobblepot…. Annabelle Cobblepot (Smith)… Oswald Cobblepot… Elaine Cobblepot…_

She looked away, sighing deeply. Her mother had been killed in an explosion, most likely the reason for why Quinn's 18th birthday present to her was a slightly burned teddy – she must have found it in the rubble. There had been almost nothing left of Anna … And the images of the destroyed nursery where they had found Annabelle were disturbing to see. The nursery had been on the top floor of Oswald's nightclub, but had obviously since then been fixed and renovated again as Millie could not remember seeing any holes in the building of the nightclub.

"She died in an explosion?" Her skin crawled as she thought about the blood rushing through her veins; criminal blood. The things her mother had done were equally as bad as the things her father had done.

But if Millie could be different, then so could Elaine. She had to still believe that.

"No." Millie frowned. "She died from a shot to the head. The bullet was set to explode. A microbomb."

"Oh… it doesn't say so here." Millie frowned at the file. Why was that not in the file? Was that not part of her mother's death? Was there more Bruce was keeping from her? She hoped not…

"I remember very clearly."

"W-Were you there?"

"I had just begun as Batman. Criminals feared me. Some didn't even believe in me, Cobblepot included. I had no real support from the GCPD, and I still don't have that – not officially."

"But they help us anyway?"

"Yes. Gordon does. Your mother believed in me. Saw me as a new threat against her line of work. But she also saw me as a citizen of Gotham, and she believed in the citizens of Gotham. She was a complicated woman. Intriguing almost. Towards the end, someone wanted to kill her, and she asked for my help. I was too late."

"She _asked_ for your help?"

"She had her children to think about. She had you to think about." Millie looked away from Bruce.

"Did you find anything else?"

There was a pause, "No."

"Really?"

Bruce sighed, "I'm not lying anymore, Millie."

"No, I know." Both looked away from each other. "But… you're not keeping anything from me?"

"No."

Millie nodded. Bruce sighed again, before pulling up another file on the laptop, "This is all I found out. I promise."

Ballistics. Some leftover DNA on the opposite rooftop where the sniper was. A heat signature Batman had found, showing them how the sniper had been positioned on the roof and his approximate height as well. But that was it. And Batman had not even been able to trace the ballistics.

"No one uses these ballistics? Not even a foreign assassin's guild you know of?"

"No. It was just one dead-end after another."

She looked up at him then, smiling at him. No more lies. Just Millie and Bruce fighting villains side by side, making the streets a safer place and a less attractive place for Elaine.

"Thank you."

Bruce smiled as well, placing an arm around her shoulders. As Millie continued looking through images of Annabelle, Bruce watched along with her.

"She was special, you know. Had every single villain wrapped around her finger. Could manipulate them all, make them like her; appreciate her. And they listened to her if she needed them to. Cobblepot had never been stronger than he was with her by his side."

"I can't imagine the Penguin _liking_ someone. Actually, no, scratch that. I can't imagine someone _liking_ the Penguin."

"It was odd. At first I thought he was just using her, manipulating her need for some form of affection. A little bit like Joker and Quinn – though there's more to their relationship as well I believe. But then I saw it that night when she died. When I pulled her body out of the rubble and handed her over to her crew… He had meant it. Every single thing all the way up to the ring on her finger. There was love, but maybe not the kind of love other people harbour."

Millie nodded. Bruce's arm was still resting on her shoulders, and she leaned her head against him.

"I fear Elaine might become that strong as well. Having her in Arkham puts her in a position where she can communicate with others other than Cobblepot. I don't like it."

"If we help Elaine, she won't become _that_. Bruce… if we show her this, she might trust me-"

"No. It won't help. No doubt the girl already knows anyway."

"But-"

"No." His voice boomed, and Millie nodded her head simply. "I'll be heading out soon. I think you should come with me."

"To Gotham?"

"Yes."

"As Batgirl?"

Bruce raised his eyebrows, "Whom else?"

Millie grinned.

 **Elaine**

The rec-room was, as usual, filled with Arkham inmates. Sunlight was peeking in through the bared windows, teasing everyone about the freedom that they once had. Elaine wasn't sure if she would ever get to go outside, though she knew Arkham had a courtyard meant for patients. She doubted, however, that she was one of the patients allowed outside.

Seated, as always, with Ed, she watched him play chess against himself. After having watched him day in and day out for over two weeks, she had learned how to play. Though Ed still refused to allow her to play with him.

What had changed though was… well, it was Ed. Or rather, it was Ed's approach towards her. Yes, they still bickered a lot and neither really liked each other. But there was an underlying sense of… trust. At least, that was the feeling Elaine felt towards Ed. And from the way Ed did not shy away from her touches or her obnoxiously placing her feet in his lap to relax, she assumed her too felt it.

With a grunt, Dent suddenly sat down at their table. This was something that never happened, and it shook Elaine out of her catatonic state. He glared at them both as they looked at him, shocked. Though he remained quiet, simply expertly letting his coin dance around his fingers.

"The coin has made a decision…"

"Ominous as ever," replied Elaine sarcastically, rolling her eyes at his voice. Nygma did the same, simply returning back to his chess game.

"We're bored of this place."

"What a great decision that coin has made for you. You want an applause? A reward for _not at all_ thinking the same as everyone else?"

Dent suddenly slammed his hand against the table, the coin under his palm. This sudden action caused the table to shake slightly, some of Ed's chess pieces falling over. Nygma let out a grunt, finally looking over at Dent again.

"I wasn't finished…" he growled under his breath.

A couple of guards approached the bars near them, and Elaine waved at them happily to make them go away again.

"Look, we want out too. But we don't have the resources. Penguin might… but I don't want to speak to him now nor _can_ I."

Dent relaxed, grabbing the coin and continuing making it dance. A weird metallic scent entered Elaine's nostrils, and Dent's bad eye glowered at her.

"We don't have the resources either," added Dent. "But we still want out."

"Yeah… you've been taking a few beatings lately," replied Elaine with a soft voice, to which Dent only narrowed his eyes. "I've been wanting out since day one. This place doesn't sit well with me… it stinks."

"I think it's Tetch," commented Ed. "He doesn't take off that stupid paper hat and seeing as it's made out of paper, he doesn't shower."

Elaine rolled her eyes. "No one has enough resources. But nobody has _no_ resources. I do have a plan, you know."

"You've been saying that since day one." Ed didn't look at her, simply moving the pieces on the chess board back to their places so he could start anew. "And look where you still are? In Arkham"

Elaine leaned closer to Ed, "Riddle me this. What is flat, red and splattered all over the walls?"

Ed turned to reply to her, but before he could, Elaine had already stood up and slammed her fist against the table, "Your _head_ if you don't stop _belittling_ me."

"Woah," said Dent, grabbing Elaine's collar and pushing her back down into her chair. More guards walked over to the bars, and this time it was Dent who waved at them to let them be.

"I would've made a snarky comment about where you've gotten that temperament if you'd been more attentive and figured it out by now-" began Dent, letting go of her collar as she struggled against his hands.

"As if you know so much more about my origins than I do-" snapped Elaine.

"But seriously, what's wrong with you?" At Dent's question, Ed glanced their way.

"Like I said… this place doesn't sit well with me. Acting insane all the time is… fucked up."

"Guys," interrupted Ed, unfazed by Elaine's comments from earlier. "In all seriousness… getting out sounds good."

" _Do_ you have a plan?" asked Dent, glancing at Elaine.

"Yes. You see, we might not have enough resources or strings to pull to get out… but there are two people in here who do have enough resources. They _always_ have enough resources."

"Who?"

In time for their conversation to end, the guards opened the doors to the rec-room again, shoving another patient inside.

"Well…" said Elaine, turning to look at the patient, both Dent and Nygma doing the same. "Let's just say, they always have a trick up their sleeves."

Unimpressed with the guards' manhandling her, Harley Quinn walked inside of the rec-room, swaying her hips and rubbing her wrists from where the handcuffs had undoubtedly rubbed against her skin. She waltzed up to the patient always occupying the TV, glaring at him for a little while until he scrambled away from her. Happily, she sat down in his spot and switched channels to something a little more interesting, twirling one end of her hair around a finger.

"You're kidding me…" growled Dent, leaning back in his chair.

Ed chuckled, "Even if they have the resources to get out, they'd never agree on letting you, yet alone us, tag along. The Joker doesn't work with anyone else but Quinn."

Elaine glared at them, "If I can 'befriend' freaks like you, I can befriend anyone." She stood up quickly, beginning to walk over to Harley.

"Don't use that attitude with her!" whisper-shouted Ed after her.

"We're screwed…" groaned Dent.

 **Millie**

"Oof…"

"Up. Start again."

Sighing, Millie stood back up again from the yoga mats covering the living room floor. Her elbows hurt from where she had tried to soothe her fall, but she had no time to really think about it. Sweat was pouring down from every pore in her body, making her already skin tight yoga pants sit even tighter against her body. And she most likely had some sweat stains that were not very attractive.

Hair sticking to her face, Millie jumped back up onto the cord Bruce had set up for her in the living room. She was to balance on it and walk across it without effort because earlier that week she had fallen down from a cord while on a mission. The thugs they had been watching noticed her presence and began shooting at her. Alfred had had to stitch her up pretty good after that mission. Though not as good as the doctors would need to stitch up those thugs after Bruce was done with them afterwards.

" _Again_."

Evidently, Millie had hesitated a bit, and Bruce's scolding tone did nothing to lighten her already sullen mood.

"Bruce, I'm tired."

"A _gain_."

Rolling her eyes, she put one foot on the cord, toes curling around it, before lifting herself up completely and putting both feet securely on the cord. This part was easy, especially without her Batgirl boots on – but taking a step was not as easy.

Dick could do it easily… Barbara too after a while…

Shaking from exhaustion, she tried to place one foot in front of the other, but instead the cord swayed as she lost her balance almost immediately, and she fell once more. With even more pain in her elbows she glanced over at Bruce standing in a corner, watching her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Again."

"Enough," snarled Millie, eyebrows furrowed. Something took hold of her, and she shot up to her feet with such speed she started seeing stars in front of her eyes. "I _can't_ do it. And I _especially_ can't do it when I'm fucking tired! I'm going."

Bruce narrowed his eyes a bit, and Millie noticed it. That something that had taken a hold of her spoke before she could even try to think rationally.

"What!? I'm acting too much like a Cobblepot!? Don't look at me like that!" Turning around, she stalked off towards her bedroom, making sure each step made more noise than necessary before she slammed her door shut behind her.

For a few minutes she sat on her bed, mind basically steaming from the anger she felt. Up until Alfred entered her room without knocking.

"The hell-" began Millie, standing up from her bed.

Though Alfred was not in a butler mood; "Sit yourself down."

The tone he held was one every single child who had lived with the Wayne family knew; the one that meant you were about to be scolded like the little child you were and put in your place by the famous Alfred Pennyworth. Hell, even Bruce did not go against Alfred when he had that tone in his voice.

Sitting back down, she felt her anger dissipate immediately. She was glad she was slowly leaving her teenage years so that these emotions she felt due to her… bloodline… were a little easier to control when it didn't go too far.

"You think screaming at your mentor will help? You think it will make you magically learn?" he asked. He stood there, in her doorway, with his hands on his hips and his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"I just-"

"Bruce Wayne carried you home in his arms, almost having bled out." Millie lowered her gaze to her hands. It had hurt, yes, and she remembered being unconscious for a lot of it too. While she herself had already moved on, knowing this was part of the job from other times Bruce had come home with a bullet wound, Millie had not thought about what affect it might have on others in her surrounding… She just thought of the situation with a light heart, thinking herself stupid for tripping on the job as a vigilante meant to instil terror in the hearts of criminals. She had laughed at the situation, as a matter of fact… But Bruce - "You have no idea what any of us felt in that moment. We thought we would lose you."

"It was just –"

"No. It was not _just_ anything. You may not think it important, but we do. We did. It was horrible to see you like that." Millie itched one of the healing bullet holes in her arm. They barely hurt anymore and the worst ones were just a bit painful when she tried to move around in bed. Alfred sighed and sat down on the bed next to Millie. "You may not understand this yet, but having a daughter or a son is so much more intense than having a parent. Yes, losing family members is always hard… but when the person is your child, it's even worse. And Bruce…"

Millie bit her lip, "I'm sorry Alfred. I didn't think of it that way…"

"He's already lost family. All he has is you now."

"I miss him..."

Alfred sighed, "I know you do. And I know you often wonder if you made the right choice staying…" Alfred placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I think you did. Because if Bruce were to lose you too, I fear there may not be anything left in the world that keeps Batman from letting Bruce Wayne have a life too. I fear we might lose Bruce completely then."

She glanced at the butler, and he nodded his head at her. Immediately, she ran out of the room and down the stairs again. Bruce was still in the living room, but he had moved to the laptops, typing away on one of them. He looked back at her when he heard her enter the room, and he raised his eyebrows at her, "We need to work on you walking more quietly." He looked back at the laptops then, but before he had the time to continue typing, Millie had thrown her arms around his chest and was hugging him tightly.

There were no words said, but as Bruce gently patted her arms as she hugged him, he understood what she meant and she understood what he meant.

Slowly he let go of him, taking a step back as he stood up to hover over her.

"Let's continue," she offered, gesturing towards the cord.

Bruce smiled.


	41. 40, Happy Birthday

**Evil Shadow**

* * *

 **40.**

* * *

 **Millie**

"I think the main bedroom should be here…" pondered Millie absentmindedly as she moved around the pictures of the layout to their future manor. "Gives you a view of Gotham and the batsignal."

Bruce hummed in approval, "Then your bedroom should be on this side of the manor as well. So you can see it too." He shifted some of the pictures and sketches around on the table in front of them. "And that way, we can have a shared secret entrance to the Batcave that goes down in between our bedrooms."

Millie glanced up at Bruce briefly, before returning to the layout. She was still not quite used to all of that.

Bruce, on the other hand, took it differently. He chuckled at her look and shook his head, "I won't sneak in to check so no boys are in your room. Only you can use your entrance."

Flustered, Millie puffed her cheeks out. "Whatever… " Eager to change the subject, Millie plastered a smirk onto her lips, "Hey, can I have a jacuzzi in my en-suite-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Millie sighed and pouted, earning a smile from Bruce. Alfred walked in at that point, carrying a tray with tea and a small cupcake. To Millie's surprise, there was a small candle stuck in the cupcake. Though the candle was not the most important part of that cupcake.

It was the fact that she recognized that sort of cupcake, and she knew Alfred always added a filling of chocolate inside of those cupcakes. Her mouth watered at the thought of eating it.

"There's a candle in it," she commented, glancing up at Alfred and then at Bruce.

"You know the truth now. So, there's no point in continuing to celebrate the birthday the orphanage gave you. Though… publicly, we'll still celebrate on the other date. This is just between us."

"I-I was born on this day?" she asked quietly, staring down at the candle. "28th of June?"

"Yes, you were."

"I'm nineteen now…"

"Make a wish, Miss Millie," smiled Alfred, his hands clasped together behind his back.

With a blank mind, she blew the candle out, watching as Alfred removed it. A sudden wide smile appeared on her lips as she grabbed the cupcake and began eating it. Bruce chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"You may not have known about this birthday, but I did," said Bruce, tugging her shoulder slightly to gain her attention again.

With a chocolate moustache, Millie followed Bruce to the back of the lake house and into the living room, currently functioning as a mini-batcave. There, large windows made up most of the walls of the house, through which one could look out at the lake. It was late afternoon, and the sun was on her way down, creating an orange horizon. The contrast between the orange light and the dark blue sky above it was beautiful.

"You bought me gifts?" she asked around a mouthful of the cupcake.

"Not exactly… bought…"

Millie furrowed her brow, watching as Bruce walked over to what looked like a giant, metal suit case. He gestured towards it and she walked over to it, but still glanced up at Bruce with unsure eyes. Alfred stood back, watching.

"Open it."

"What's in it?"

Bruce simply smirked, "Let's just say it's something I never thought I would actually give you."

Millie bit her lip, placing her thumbs against the clasps keeping the suitcase closed. After some hesitation, she pressed her thumbs down, the suit case opening with a click. The inside lit up with blue lights, revealing to her…

Her batgirl suit. The same one she had gotten from Barbara…

Trying to not look disappointed, she glanced over at Bruce. At the look in her eyes, he laughed that deep, rumbling laugh of his that was so rare but which she had heard twice that day now. He gestured towards it one more time, "Take it out."

She grabbed the mask, holding it up in front of her. Around the eyes she could see something new, and she smiled when she recognized it.

"I had Lucius make some for you as well," explained Bruce. "Two inches thick night vision goggles. Turn off the lights and startle your opponents by being able to see them when they cannot see you."

"Thanks," smiled Millie.

"There's more," urged Bruce, gesturing towards the suit in the case.

Gently placing the mask on the table, she grabbed the leathery material of her suit, pulling it out. While it was still black with yellow decorations, it had clearly been refit to fit Millie's body-type better. Not only that, but the belt was new… and _filled_ with new gadgets.

"A good vigilante doesn't go out without good gear."

"Oh my… Smoke bombs, batarangs, a new batclaw-"

"Lucius remodeled it so it wouldn't shoot you up so fast again."

Millie blushed at that memory. For some reason, Barbara weighed more than her even though one could not see it on the outside, and the batclaw had literally shot her up into the air so fast she had been flying for a little while before landing on the roof she had been aiming for in a very ungraceful way.

Safe to say, Millie had never seen Bruce laugh _that much_ ever before.

Smiling, Millie glanced back at Bruce and Alfred, "Thank you."

 **Elaine**

Elaine cleared her throat, glancing back once at Dent and Nygma. She knew they had both encountered the clowns before, but they had never worked with them before. Probably because neither Quinn nor the Joker really was in this sort of life to earn money, like Dent, or to become the most intelligent in Gotham, like Nygma – instead they were in it to, simply put, prove to the city that the way things were working was a fragile way, and that madness was only one slip up away from everyone in Gotham.

Harley turned the moment Elaine had made her presence clear. Immediately, a smile appeared on the woman's lips, even though her eyes did not join in on the smile. It was strange to Elaine how Harley's eyes sort of glazed over with this shield of madness, making her look both insane and stupid. But just seconds before Harley's defenses had been put up, Elaine could see the clarity and the intelligence she had hidden down there. It fascinated her, and she wondered what exactly made Harley put up those shields and act as a mad woman trailing after a man dressed as a clown…

Most certainly, the man had a lot to do with it. But Elaine could not understand; could not see, _why_ someone would change so much for someone else: Why someone would pretend to be someone just so they could like them, love them or be liked and be loved.

"We meet again," greeted Elaine.

Harley cocked her head to the side, only faintly. The pink gum was trampled by the white horses in her mouth obnoxiously, causing a tiny tattoo of a heart on her cheek to jump up and down.

"You've grown since last. In many ways," she announced, clearly just stating what she was seeing, "Is that a d-cup or an e-cup-"

"I wanna talk," interrupted Elaine, sitting down on a nearby couch.

It seemed for a moment as though Elaine had trespassed on her territory, as Harley's smile faltered for a second and a horrible, pissed off version of the clown stepped forwards. Although the twisted version of Harley stayed put, it seemed her curiosity for what Elaine had to say made her stay in line, watching her intensely instead.

The fact that Harley made no move to attack or make Elaine go away, made her confident enough to continue speaking. From her position she could see Ed and Harvey stare at her with wide eyes.

"I want out."

Harley smirked again, though that twisted version of her still stayed put in her eyes. Clearly she was ready to pounce were Elaine to mess up.

"We all want out, honey. And we can't all get what we want…"

"You've got the resources, I'm sure of it," pressed Elaine. "The Joker always has loyal people standing by to help. And you've worked here."

"What does my previous job have to do with this?"

"It means you know your way around this place."

"Look, even if I wanted to, I ain't got no way to talk to Mistah J. He's locked up real good," sighed Harley.

Her defensive side had calmed down, which made Elaine's confidence go up even more.

"What if I say we're not alone?"

"Huh?"

Elaine gestured over her shoulder towards Ed and Harvey. Harley frowned, "Those bozos won't be of much help."

"Look…" purred Elaine, moving in closer. Harley smirked, her teeth slowing down their stamping to listen more carefully. "The matter of the fact is, we're all in this mess together. Together we can pull this off."

"Puddin' and I have escaped before without working together with others. Why should we start now?"

Elaine was sort of at a loss for words. Why _did_ she want to get out together with anyone else? They were her rivals once out there on the streets. The only thing keeping her and the insane criminals inside of this place from tearing each other apart were the walls around her.

"Times are tough." Elaine decided to simply babble on. She had no real answer to what Harley had asked her, and besides, she needed to convince herself once more of why she really was willing to work with Dent, Nygma, Quinn and the Joker to get out. "Dent's lost most of his crew after a hit from the Bat. Nygma got caught helping me and my boss, which means, I guess, that he would not be here had it not been for me… Dent's loss was because of me too, when I think about it - The Bat followed me to his den…" she trailed off, not sure where she was going with this.

"So you wanna make up for what you've done?" Harley let out a rude laugh, and Elaine could not help but feel like she deserved it.

Had Mark been there to hear her talk, he would have slapped her cheek raw. She had sounded weak.

"No. I don't care if I ruined their careers. That just helped my boss," snapped Elaine, trying a different approach. "What I care about is getting out. And together we have a better chance of getting out. Security's crazy here! I can't do this on my own."

"Your boss won't help then?"

"I have no means of contacting him-"

"Pathetic…" sighed Harley. "You really are a rookie, aren't ya?"

"Duh," sighed Elaine with a roll of her eyes.

"Meet me in the showers tomorrow morning. Granted I'm allowed to shower yet…" Her eyes trailed off as though that thought had made her think of something, before she suddenly snapped back to reality, "I'll have a phone then."

"W-How?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is I'll have it, and you can contact your little birdman."

"Does that mean you'll help?"

"Mistah J 'll have a plan. But _I_ can't get to him on my own. I'll need to know stuff about electricity… And I don't."

"Nygma does," added Elaine quickly.

"Yeah, _duh_ , I'd figured that out already." Harley glanced at Elaine one last time. "It's like you said. We're stronger together."

Elaine nearly lost her jaw at how surprised she was that Harley had actually agreed to this, though she composed herself quickly as Harley's gaze suddenly rested on her. This time, however, her eyes were not glazed over. They were not even showing intelligence though. Instead they were showing some strange kind of…

Mourning.

It was weird, and surprising. And when Harley opened her mouth and uttered the words, "See it as a birthday gift too," Elaine was left with even more confusion.

Shaking it off as just Harley being a crazy woman, Elaine let herself feel overjoyed and proud as she watched Quinn walk off. They had the two clowns on their side now. They were going to get out!

Completely out of character for Elaine due to her joy of finally having a chance of getting out, she turned towards Dent and Nygma and flashed them a thumbs up.

She swore she had seen the same happiness in their eyes even though they had rolled their eyes at her.

 **Millie**

"I'm going to bed now, Millie," announced Bruce.

The room was dark, lit up only by the orange shimmer of the dying fire in the fire place. Millie herself was sat on the sofa, her legs pulled up underneath of her and her head hanging low. In her hands her phone rested, though it was silent. No texts. No phone calls.

The modern architecture in the room made it seem cold. There were pointy edges everywhere, even on the sofa, and it was not her favorite room to be in, after all the lake house had many cozier rooms. Though she did not want to be cozy. Self-pity wallowed inside of her heart, making it swell to the point where it hurt.

Bruce's dark voice had actually surprised her slightly, thinking he had already gone to bed a long time ago.

"Good night," replied Millie, forcing her voice to sound normal even though she did not feel okay at all.

Whether Bruce picked up on the fakeness or not, Millie did not know. All she knew was that his feet soon retreated up the stairs towards his bedroom. The moment she heard the faint noise of a door closing on the upper level, Millie threw the phone across the room against the wall.

A sob escaped her lips as she did this. It was a sturdy flip phone and it had not, as far as she could tell, broken upon impact. Though a lot of things could break without one seeing it, because things could break on the inside without the shell being ruined. And right now, Millie's inside was broken, while the shell was still intact.

For just a minute or two, it would still be her birthday; her new birthday, or rather her actual birthday. It had not been a bad day, even though neither Bruce nor Alfred had done a lot to celebrate it. Whether this was because of what happened the last time Millie celebrated a birthday, she was unsure of. It might just have been to not shock her too much. After all, she had never really reacted much to finding out the truth about her biological father and mother. Maybe they thought she was still hurting because of that and wanted to ease her into her new identity.

But that was not true. Yes, it pained her a bit to know she had a bad heritage, but to be fair, her entire life she had been taught that family did not end in blood. After all, all adoptive children are automatically taught that. So it did not hurt her too much, because she knew it did not change who she was or what she could do with her future; it did not change who her _actual_ family was.

It was not that which had ruined her birthday. It was the fact that Dick had not even sent her a text to congratulate her.

It was her first birthday as far as she could remember since they had met, that he was not there on her birthday.

With a groan, she let herself flop onto her side, pressing her face against the itchy material of the sofa. She felt stupid thinking about that; crying about that. After all, Dick had not been made aware, just like the public, of the fact that she now had a new birthday because Bruce had told her that her new birthday was to be kept a secret, so as to not alert the public about her bloodline. But Dick used to be Robin. He could've known…

He _knew_.

Curling up further into a ball, she reminded herself that it wasn't actually his fault for either not knowing or for just not caring. After all, it was Millie who had walked away from him. Because of her, they were no longer a thing.

And that last part hurt almost more than the fact that he had not sent her a happy birthday text.

She lay there for a long time just crying. Once when Alfred entered the room she had to hold her breath and stay extremely still so he would not notice her and her bloodshot eyes. It had worked and Alfred had left soon after he had entered only for her to continue sobbing. And so things went on for a long time. Once it was past midnight, Millie had begun to calm down a bit again-

And then, suddenly…

Her phone ringed.

It buzzed loudly on the wooden floor, and her familiar ringtone played happily around the room. Pathetically so, Millie fell off the couch in an attempt to jump up to a sitting position and jump off the couch at the same time, before she crawled over to the phone. She picked it up in her hands, not opening it up yet but instead staring at the little screen showing her the name she had been craving to see all day.

 _Richard._

With shaking fingers, she opened the phone up.

And when she did, the ringtone stopped and the buzzing did too. Opening it up had made it finally break and now she was holding the two pieces that had once been her phone in her hands, knowing she had just missed Dick's call just because she had been stupid enough to let her emotions get the better of her.

Again.

The curse of a Cobblepot, she assumed.

Once more she threw the two pieces of her phone against the wall, letting out a muffled cry as she did. Pieces of the phone fell down to the floor once more at the same time as tears started streaming down her cheeks. Millie curled up into a ball in front of the fire place, letting the dying glow of the fire warm her up as a blanket normally would, before she cried herself to sleep.

He _had_ remembered.

And she had missed the call…

Oh how she wished she had not missed that call…

 **Dick**

He stared down at the phone in his hand. Multiple thoughts circled through his head and to prove some of them, he glanced at the clock he had hanging on his wall.

It was late, past midnight already, and she might have simply been asleep. Or she had heard the ringtone and had hung up the phone immediately as she had been sleeping. Or she had left her phone downstairs, where she would often leave it back when Dick was still living with them at the lake house, and not even heard the ringtone. Or she had seen his name and ignored the call…

It was the last one that his fragile heart believed in. The others were simply his rational mind trying to come up with excuses to keep his heart intact. Millie did not hate him. If anything, he should be the one angry with her for leaving him after they had finally kissed… but then again, maybe Millie was mad at _him_ for leaving _her_. Perhaps he should have pushed more, or perhaps he should have just stayed…

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. He put the phone down, pretending he had not just called her and been rejected.

Perhaps it didn't even matter. After all, maybe Bruce had not decided to celebrate her real birthday… But if he had and Millie thought that Dick had forgotten about her, he might just have put himself in an even worse situation.

Then again, she had been the one to leave him standing there, alone with an outstretched hand. She had been the one to choose the man who had constantly been lying to her since the beginning over the man who had loved her from the moment he had found her spying on him through the keyhole of the barely used ballroom; loved her since they were kids together running around the manor laughing, holding hands.

He should be mad. He should be furious. But he couldn't be that.

Not with her.

 **Alfred**

Brows furrowed, Alfred walked down the staircase again. As he always did, he had checked in on the family members before going to sleep himself. Batman was not out and Bruce had been in his bed, completely knocked out from sleep deprivation: a condition Alfred was not too surprised Bruce suffered from.

Though when he had gotten to Millie's room to peek inside, he had not found her in bed nor sitting by her desk listening to or writing music. Instead he had found her entire room empty.

Passing the living room by, Alfred stopped in the doorway. The dying embers of a fire were still burning slightly in the fireplace and right in front of it there had been something… He turned to double check what he had seen in his peripheral view, only to find Millie lying there, curled up in a ball. A puddle of tears lay beneath her cheek, and he hurried over to her.

Completely exhausted, Millie glanced up at him. Though he doubted she was actually awake.

"Miss Wayne?" he asked as he crouched down next to her.

She hummed in reply to hearing her name before going back to sleep. Instead of asking questions about the broken phone, Alfred picked her up, surprised by how she weighed almost the same as when he had found her lying in a puddle of blood on her 18th birthday. Happy this was not like the previous occasion he had to carry her on her birthday, Alfred carried her upstairs to her bed, placing her there and tucking her in as though she was still the little child he once knew.

As he was about to leave, Millie groaned and turned around, finally noticing she was somewhere else than where she had fallen asleep. She glanced at him through sleepy eyes, though he could almost see how it wasn't _him_ she was looking at.

"Dick?"

Alfred put two and two together quickly, giving her a sympathetic smile he knew she did not see, "He'll be home soon, Miss Wayne."

"Mmm… good," she breathed, eyelids closing once more as she returned to her dreams.

The following day, Alfred watched from the doorway as Millie entered the dining room only to find her favorite breakfast prepared for her along with a little gift; a new phone. She looked around to find Alfred, but he had hidden himself so she could not see him. He watched as she smiled sadly at the kind gesture of Alfred, and he smiled back.


End file.
